


Vampire on Baker street

by Demonhugger69



Series: Sherlock and Sara adventures [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M, Romance, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:16:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 74
Words: 118,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7614154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demonhugger69/pseuds/Demonhugger69
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sara Knightly is a 300 year old vampire. She decides to pay her old friend John Watson a visit, there she meets a man named Sherlock Holmes. Read about their adventures and heartbreaks. </p><p>Kind of following the show, but a lot is mixed and made up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Paying an old friend a visit

Chapter 1:

 

Sitting atop the large tower of the big ben, I look over the sleeping city.

‘It has been awhile since I was last here. Carriages used to fill the streets, I preferred them much more than to these cars. But at least most of the original architecture still stands.’ I let out a sigh and swing my legs back and forth over the roof edge. ‘I miss coming up here with my old friend Jacob. We had so much fun back in the day.'

Glancing down at the newspaper in my hands, I flip through the pages to get caught up on the latest news of the city. I pause as a certain page catches my eye.

‘A detective by the name of Sherlock Holmes has had a hand in solving many crime cases, along with his partner and blogger, John Watson.’

“John Watson…” I murmur. There is no picture, but I am sure it is him. I smile,”Time to visit an old friend.”

~

“What are you doing?” a deep voice asks from within the decent sized flat.

“Writing up the latest case we’ve solved,” the familiar voice of my friend sounds.

“'A scandal in Belgravia’? John, why must you make such ridiculous titles for your blogs? It's not as if anyone reads them,” the deep voice quips. 

“Not true, dear sir,” I murmur, walking into the room. ”I have read his blog. It is quite interesting.” They turn their attention to me.

John slowly stands, his eyes wide.”…Sara? Is that you?”

I smile widely and rush into his arms,”It's good to see you again, John!”

He hugs me back tightly, laughing,”I can’t believe it! Your here, in London!”

I pull back and look him over,”You look well, John. I was afraid of how you might be after the war, but you seem to be doing great.”

He smiles and gives a little shrug,”I still get nightmares from time to time and I had gotten shot, but I am doing well now,” he puts his hands on my shoulders,”But you look great as well. Your hair longer…but that's about all that has changed.”

I giggle at our inside joke. “I can’t imagine much will change for quite awhile.”

The clearing of someone’s throat draws our attention.

A man with dark curly hair stands across the room, studying me with suspicious blue eyes. He has very high cheekbones and a sharp jawline. He is handsome, but not in the traditional sense. At first glance he isn’t drop dead sexy, quite average in fact, but there is just something about him that draws my interest. 

Without knowing his name, I can figure who this man is.

I cock my head to the side with a cheeky smile,”Sherlock Holmes, is it?”

His eyes narrow,”John told you about me?”

My friend shakes his head,”No. I did not know she was even in London,” John tells the man.

Sherlock nods, still eyeing me closely,”The blog then?”

“Newspaper, actually,” I answer, walking closer to him. “A consulting detective? Never heard of such a thing.”

“Because I invented the term.”

I nod,”Of course, and that makes it a real thing.” I hear John let out a quiet chuckle. I smirk and continue,”I understand you make deductions. Care to deduce me?”

John chuckles,”Oh, she will give you a run for your money, Sherlock.”

We stand in silence for a moment while Sherlock “deduces” me.

“You and John have met before, obviously. Your affection shows that you two were close, yet you have not seen each other for many years. You know of his time in the army, so I assume you met there,” Sherlock starts to fire off his thoughts,”You are not very old, so you couldn’t have met very long ago. You are in your mid to late twenties, yet talk as though you have seen a lot in your years of life. Your accent shows you are american, yet your pale skin tells me that you either do not get out much, or you live in a state that sees very little sun. I am thinking Washington or Alaska, though leaning more on Alaska since you do not seem to be cold while wearing only a thin jacket. You do not seem tired even though it is one in the morning, so I assume you just arrived in London and have jet lag,” he finishes with a confident smirk,”Did I get anything wrong?”

I pretend to think about it then nod,”Yes, you got almost everything wrong.”

His eyes widen,”But-“

“The only thing you got right was how I met John. We did meet in the army, though I was not a recruit,” I tell him,”I will not tell you my real age, but I can tell you that I am far from being in my mid-twenties. I did live in america for quite sometime, but I was not born and raised there.” I slip into my old accent,”I was born in Roma, Italia.” Changing back into my american voice,”I also never lived in Washington or Alaska. Florida, actually. I just don’t tan well.” I walk around the room, studying a skull on the mantle,"I have been in London for about two weeks,” I send John a smile,"I’m a bit of a night owl.”

John laughs and shakes his head,”I have missed you more than I realized.”

Sherlock still stands frozen, a look of shock on his face. “B-but I…I am never wrong!”

John clasps his friend on the shoulder,”Do not worry, Sherlock. Sara is a mysterious one, not many know the real her.” John walks over to me,”I am assuming you will be staying here. I will go make some room, we can share like old times.”

I smile,”Thank you, that would be great.”

John goes to his room to make sleeping arrangements for me, leaving me alone with Sherlock.

“…Have you and John been in a relationship before?” he questions me.

I nod,”A long time ago. We are just friends now.”

“I see.”

I study Sherlock,”I would ask you about your past relations,” I smirk,"But I sense you are still a virgin.”

He turns away with a roll of his eyes,”Love and other things between two people is pointless,” he scoffs, sitting down in his chair,”Feelings only slow me down.”

I slowly make my way closer to him and sit in the chair across from him, I’m assuming it is John’s. “But to never experience it…or have you?”

He eyes me warily,”You have read John’s blog. So I am assuming you are talking about Irene Adler?”

I nod and lean back, crossing my arms,”Sherlock’s first love, and how terrible your choice of women was.”

He tries to look busy by messing with his phone,”I was not in “love” with her. She is a criminal.”

I nod,”Okay, maybe not love, but I think she intrigued you. Her danger drew you in, because you wanted a challenge and were bored.”

He slowly lifts his gaze to mine,”…Exactly.”

I smile and stand up, hearing John leaving his room. “Well, don’t stay to caught up on her. She was a whore and is dead now.”

He looks up at me sharply,”What do you mean? John wrote that she went into the witness protection program in America.”

I smirk,”He did. But I also know that she was captured by a terrorist group and you saved her for whatever reason. She told me all of this in America.”

His eyes widen,”You met her? She did end up in the witness protection program?”

I nod,”I didn’t realize who she was at the time. But when I read John’s blog I recognized her name.”

Sherlock stands,”You said she was dead.”

I nod again, a smile tugging at my lips as I turn toward the door,”She was a tasty little thing.”

Before he can question me further, John walks back into the room. “Okay, the room is ready,” he tells me with a smile,”And I noticed you already unpacked your things in there.”

I smile innocently. He chuckles and shakes his head,”I’m not even going to ask how.” He turns to Sherlock,”Goodnight.”

Sherlock says nothing, just stares at me, well more like glares. 

I wave to him,”Night, Sherlock.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More to come :)
> 
> Maybe some steamy chapters later ;)


	2. A new case

Chapter 2:

 

“Sara, you have to be more careful!” John scolds me after finding my container of blood in their fridge.

I throw my hands up,”At first you thought it was Sherlock’s! So apparently it's not that weird to have in there.”

He sighs,”Yes, Sherlock is the one to fill the fridge with things like this, but if he finds this he will know he did not put it in there.”

I roll my eyes,”He may be suspicious, but he is too clueless to ever find out my secret. I could straight up tell him and he still would not believe me.”

John goes to argue but then stops and nods,”...Yeah, your probably right.”

I laugh and take a sip from the container.

If you haven’t realized it yet, I am a vampire. Yes, we are real. No, we do not sparkle. We live for centuries but do eventually die, and the sun does not kill us…at least for awhile. It does give a nasty sunburn in minutes. We drink blood and need it to survive, but we can also eat normal food. We have immense strength and agility, as well as keen eyesight and hearing. 

I met John a decade or so ago. He was in the military and I was scouting the batter fields for dinner. Freshly killed people everywhere, so why not take advantage of that. I actually saved him by killing his attacker and we became friends. I stayed with him for a couple months, of course his troop did not know, and we began a relationship. He did not care that I was a vampire, he accepted me. But we mutually ended our relationship because we liked each other as friends better.

I've been living with John and Sherlock for about a week now. It's been fun being with my old friend again, and annoying Sherlock is a bonus. They haven’t had any new cases to solve and Sherlock has been acting like a child because of that. It's pretty funny though and kinda cute to be honest. 

We hear the door slam open and in runs a man with grey hair. “Where’s Sherlock?!” he questions.

Sherlock comes out of his room,”What do you need, Lestrade?”

“There has been twelve bodies found in a warehouse.”

John’s eyes widen,”All in the same place?”

Lestrade nods and looks to Sherlock,”We need your help.”

Sherlock nods and smiles brightly, rubbing his hands together,”Just what I needed! Multiple homicides. Is it Christmas, John?”

My friend lets out a sigh,”I guess it is for you.” 

While Sherlock runs to his room to change out of his pajamas, John turns to me. ”Sara, this is Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade. He is an inspector with New Scotland yard."

I nod and walk forward to shake Lestrade’s hand. I smile,”I remember seeing your name in John’s blog. Nice to meet you, I’m Sara Knightly.”

He smiles,”Likewise,” he glances from me to John and back again,”So, how do you know each other?"

“Sara is an old friend of mine,” John tells him with a smile,”She is visiting London for the first time in years and is staying with us.”

Lestrade barks a laugh,”I can’t Imagine how it must be living with Sherlock. Why haven’t you ran to a hotel yet?”

I smirk,”It's not that bad. To be honest, I think I annoy Sherlock more than he does me.”

Sherlock returns and wraps a scarf around his neck. He looks at us,”What are you all doing? Stop standing around, there is finally something fun to do!”

We leave and meet up at the warehouse. Caution tape surrounds the building.

A dark skinned woman walks toward us. “Hey, freak,” she greets Sherlock oh so nicely.

I narrow my eyes,’Bitch.’

She eyes me with a frown,”Who is this?”

“She’s with us,” Sherlock says as he walks under the the caution tape with John.

She stops me from doing the same,”I don’t care what he says, no civilians are aloud in.”

I cock my head to the side and study her,”Feeling a bit bitchy because you’ve been celibate for more than a month?”

Her eyes narrow,”What are you-“

I lean in closer, looking her over,”He broke it off, the man you were having an affair with. You are mad and have been avoiding your husband as well it seems,” I glance down at her her hand,”Oh, and look at that. No ring. Things must be getting bad between you two.”

She moves her hand behind her,”I don’t like to bring it to work…in case it gets lost.”

I bark a laugh,”Okay, sure. Now, before you embarrass yourself any more, let me in. I think I just proved that I can be helpful to this case.”

She looks so angry, her face is turning red. I ignore her and slip under the tape, walking to Sherlock who had stopped to watch our encounter.

“How did you do that?” he questions as we walk into the building together.

I shrug and send him a cheeky smirk,”Deduced it.”

I soon catch the smell of rotting flesh. Following my nose to a room, I see John and Lestrade standing by a pile of bodies.

“What happened to them?” Sherlock questions, walking past me to examine the bodies 

“They all died of…some type of animal bite wounds it seems. Some dead longer than others,” John says as he looks over the bodies. He frowns and leans in closer, touching a body with his gloved hands,”That is interesting, they…” he trails off and quickly glances at me.

I ignore his gaze and walk closer. My eyes trained on the bodies,“They were drained of blood.”

Sherlock pauses and looks at me,”…How did you know that?”

I ignore him and glance at John. He is glaring at me. “Sara, a word please!” he hisses.

I follow my friend out of the room and into a deserted hallway. He stops and turns to glare at me,”You said you wouldn't do that here! You promised!”

“And I didn’t!” I growl,”Someone else did this.”

He narrows his eyes,”Your sure?"

I scoff,”Of course I’m sure. It was a vampire.”

He calms down,”Well, do you know who?”

I shake my head,”The wounds were messy, most likely from a ripper vampire. It becomes like an addiction and they cannot stop feeding.”

John gazes off in thought,”...What are we going to tell Sherlock?”

I shake my head,”Nothing. You cannot tell him anything. I want you both off the case,” I tell him.

He stares at me in shock,”Off the case? We won’t-“

I grip his arm,”This isn’t a normal criminal, John!” I hiss,”He is stronger and faster than all of the police. You and Sherlock wouldn't stand a chance against him.”

He narrows his eyes,”I know you want to protect us, but you cannot keep us from this case. Sherlock will do whatever he can to solve it, this wouldn't be the first time he’s gone behind someone’s back to solve a case."

I groan and release his arm, running a hand through my hair,”Why are you being so stupid?!” I growl,”There is a real danger of dying-“

“We are always in danger of dying, Sara,” he tells me,”I was in the army, I was shot! I could have died many times and this will be no different!”

I stare at his hard gaze, his unwavering expression. He is not going to let this go. All I can do now is make sure he and Sherlock do not get hurt.

“Fine,” I tell him with a sigh,”But I will be the one to take him down. I don’t want you or Sherlock to get hurt.”

John smiles,”No promises,” he looks around,”We should be getting back.”

I nod and follow him.

“What are we supposed to tell Sherlock?” John asks again,”We can’t let him walk into this without knowing what his enemy is.”

I shake my head,”We have to. He would not believe us anyway.”

John sighs but lets it go.

Back in the room with the bodies, Sherlock stands over them with his hands in his coat pockets. “What was so important to talk about at a time like this?” he questions us.

John freezes, clears his throat and walks to the bodies,”Nothing. I was just…asking Sara what she wants for dinner.”

I glare at him for making such a terrible lie. He shrugs and crouches by the bodies,”So, any thoughts on who the killer is?” he asks Sherlock.

The scarf wearing man stares at me for a moment before walking to John. “Their wounds seem animalistic, but there are human bite marks as well which is peculiar. Also, as Sara revealed, they have been drained of blood. But there are no other signs of any wounds where blood has been withdrawn.”

“What about from the neck wounds and other lacerations?” Lestrade asks.

Sherlock shakes his head,”No. I thought so as well, but there is no way to have drained the bodies completely from those wounds other than letting the victims bleed out. But as you can see, there is no blood around them.”

John glances up at him,”Maybe they weren’t killed here.”

“No, you fool,” Sherlock hisses,”Look around!” he gestures to the dirty room we stand in,”This places has been lived in for weeks. The victims were killed here for sure.”

I walk over to a thick pipe that is embedded in the wall, a piece of bloody rope lays on the ground next to it. “He’s right. The victims were kept here until the murderer decided to kill them,” I say.

This is strange. A ripper usually doesn’t have enough coherent thought to bring its victims to an area and keep them for later. Nor to hide the bodies. This vampire must still be in the recent changes of becoming a ripper.

“Correct. At least someone is using their brain,” Sherlock commends me.

“Where has the murderer gone now? Why up and leave?” Lestrade questions in confusion.

I gaze around the room,”This place has only been abandoned for a week at most,” I walk toward the bodies, cringing at the rotting smell,”The freshest bodies were killed in a messier fashion, as though the murderer had to hurry.”

Sherlock steps up next to me,”Someone must have found him. Who was the person that tipped off the police?” he questions the chief.

Lestrade shrugs,”It was anonymous. Most tips are.”

I cross my arms and bite the nail of my thumb thinking. “Why would he leave so suddenly?” I question myself,”Who was he afraid of?”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

 

We eventually leave the crime scene and catch a cab back to Baker street where we continue to try and solve the ripper case.

Weeks go by and Sherlock takes on smaller cases while awaiting for the murderer to make his move. I have been going out at night by myself to track the killer, but I have had no such luck.

I am currently lounging in Sherlock’s chair watching tv, when the man himself walks in through the door.

He walks to his room and soon coms out dressed in his pajamas and robe. He stands in front of me and stares, as though expecting me to move.

I slowly slide my gaze toward him and smile,”Hi, Sherlock. How did your visit with your brother go?”

He narrows his eyes,”How did you know I was with my brother?” he pauses,”…How do you know I have a brother?”

I let out a laugh as I turn my attention back to the television,”I've known Mycroft for some years,” I reveal,”And I know you were with him by his scent, the dirt and dust on your shoes which is usually at the warehouse where his office is, and the smell of smoke on your clothing as your brother usually stresses you out enough to make you have a cigarette.”

He is silent for a couple of moments before walking over to sit straight-backed in John’s chair. “Scent? How could you possibly smell my brother on me? He wears no harsh cologne.”

I let out a annoyed sigh and look at him,”Everyone has a certain scent. It is quite easy to pick up once you know which scent belongs to whom.”

“Yes, I can imagine. But no human can do so,” he presses on.

I send him a smirk,”Then maybe I’m not human.”

He glowers at me,”Enough riddles! During the time I have known you, you have possessed traits that no human can have. How do you do it?” he questions.

I let out a sigh and get up. Walking over to him, I lean down to his level,”You wouldn't believe me even if I told you,” I tell him softly, then look at the floor,”Most do not. And if they do, I am rarely welcomed.”

After a moment of silence, I feel Sherlock grasp my hand. I stare at him oddly, wondering what has brought this upon him.

“People do not accept you because you are different,” he murmurs, gazing into my eyes,”I know how it feels.”

This caring side of Sherlock has caught me off guard. Maybe I don’t know him as well as I thought.

“Your pulse is incredibly fast, and your eyes are dilated,” he suddenly says with amusement in his eyes,”Any reason for that?"

I frown and pull my hand away. Way to ruin a moment Sherlock. “If you must know, my heart beat is always like this. Check it when I sleep if you want,” I tell him with an eye roll,”And my eyes are like this when I’m hungry.”

He suddenly changes the subject,”Where is John? It is quite late.”

I walk to the kitchen for my secret stash of blood,”He is entertaining a lady friend in his room. Guess I’m sleeping on the couch.”

Sherlock scoffs, moving to his chair and pulling his legs up to his chest,”Why must he constantly look for a partner? He has us.”

I walk back into the room with my glass full and stifle a laugh,”Sorry to break it to you Sherlock, but most people need more than just friends.”

He rolls his eyes,”I was fine without friends. Why does he need something more?”

I sit in John’s chair,”Most people need someone they can be close to and be totally honest with. To rely on each other and have a connection that they cannot have with just a friend,” I explain.

He glances at me,”Do you not look for a person to have a “special connection” with?”

I gaze down at my glass full of red liquid,”…I do not search for this person. But in all my years of life, I have yet to find such a person… It does get lonely at times, as I do not make many friends that I keep for long,” I murmur,”I let fate decide when it is time to meet such person.”

“Fate?” he scoffs,”Such an absurd notion. You do not need another person, you can only trust yourself.”

I look to him,”What if you could find someone just like you? Wouldn't you want to be with someone like that?”

He glances at me,”Like a clone?”

I giggle,”No. I mean, someone that shares many of your interests. Someone you can bond with. A female, or male, I don’t judge.”

He rolls his eyes,”As I have told John many times, I do not notice things like that. I couldn’t care less about how attractive a person is.”

I purse my lips,”Maybe so. But it is still basic bodily chemistry. You cannot help feel lust of some kind for some gender… Unless you are asexual,” I shake my head,”Though I do not believe that is a real thing in humans. There is a person out there that I bet can make even you flustered.”

He just shakes his head and continues to watch the tv.

I eventually move to the couch and fall asleep. My sleeping schedule has been messed up lately. I've been waking up with John and Sherlock, but I also have been searching for the murderer at night. I need my rest.

~

Sherlock’s POV:

I think about what Sara and I conversed on. 

She is different than normal people, that is for sure. But she still has that women-like fantasy of finding the love of their life. Such a naive girl.

I glance over and watch her sleep. I stand and quietly make my way over, then gently grab her wrist.

Her pulse now feels that of an average awake person. How strange... she was telling the truth.

I move back and take a seat once more, studying her every feature.

For normal standards, she is seen as very beautiful. Her dark hair in contrast to her pale skin, along with her pricing blue eyes that look much like mine. She is curvy, a much more appealing figure than Irene..

Why am I thinking about her? Why am I comparing them?

I shake my head. Irene was nothing more than an interesting woman. She gave me a challenge, she played me, but in the end I won. To hear that she is dead…(I had Mycroft confirm it so), was honestly not much of a shock. With her out of my life, I had long forgotten whatever interest she made me feel. As they say, out of sight out of mind. I had already erased her from my mind palace as she was no more needed. She was just a conniving criminal, weak and using a small piece of information to her advantage. She never had any real power.

But Sara, oh Sara is a different story. She is smart, independent, fearless. She is also not a criminal. It is incredibly hard to find someone with an intellect such as hers these days. Though she annoys and teases me to no end, I do enjoy her company. Solving cases with her is a true pleasure. 

Hearing a thump followed by giggles from upstairs, I let out an annoyed sigh. It is has been hours, what are they, rabbits?

Glancing back to Sara, I see her grimace in her sleep at the noise. She will wake if they keep it up.

I let out another sigh and gently lift her into my arms. It is quieter in my room, and she sure needs the rest. 

It has not gone unnoticed that she hasn't been sleeping a lot lately. While I cannot make deductions about her past, it doesn’t take a genius to spot the bags under her eyes.

Being unable to make correct deductions on her has been driving me insane! How could I possibly get them all wrong?! Was she lying to annoy me? And why is she so secretive about pointless things, such as her age? I know women do not like to reveal such a thing, but she can be no more than twenty-five so I do not see what the big deal is.

Walking with her to my room, I lay her down on my bed. 

Guess I will be sleeping on the couch tonight.

As I turn to leave, a hand grips the sleeve of my robe. I turn back to Sara and see her pulling me towards her.

“Don’t…leave,” she mumbles sleepily.

I try to get out of her grip but she is incredibly strong. Soon enough, I find myself on the bed with her clinging onto me like a bloody Kola Bear.

“Sara?” I hiss, nudging her,”Wake up.”

She nuzzles her face into my shoulder which feels quite strange…though not terribly uncomfortable.

“…Tom,” she mumbles before falling back into a deep sleep.

I freeze and stare at her serene face.

Who is this Tom? She has never spoken of him before.

~

Sara’s POV:

As I wake up, I instantly notice I am not on the couch. Also this room has an overwhelming scent of Sherlock.

Cracking my eyes open, I flinch backward seeing Sherlock’s face right before mine. He stares at me with questioning eyes,”Who is Tom?”

I blink confused, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. How did I get here?

He sees my confusion and starts to explain,”John was being loud last night with his lady friend, so I bought you to my room since you needed sleep. You grabbed ahold of me and dragged me into bed with you. Then your called me Tom. So, who is this Tom?”

My mouth dries,”I…I-“

“Sherlock?” John’s voice calls from the hall,”Have you seen Sara-“ the door opens and John stares at us with jaw slack,”….Please tell me this isn’t as it seems?" he pleads.

“Don’t be daft, John,” Sherlock scoffs, standing up from the bed,”We were merely chatting."

“Chatting? Why were you both in your bed then?”

I get up as well and walk out of the room. “Just had a little sleepover, John,” I tell him as I make my way into the kitchen,”You were having fun, so I thought, why not have a pillow fight with my best buddy Sherlock.”

“There was no fighting with pillows,” Sherlock frowns, walking into the kitchen after me.

I roll my eyes and look through the fridge.

“Now, about Tom-“

“He is no one,” I assure Sherlock,”Just a friend from the past. I haven’t seen him in years..We didn’t leave it in a good spot anyway.”

“Who is this, Tom, Sherlock keeps going on about?” John questions, now in the kitchen as well.

I groan and slam the fridge shut. “He is no one! Let it go!” I shout and leave the flat. 

I need to feed, now.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

 

John and Sherlock leave today for Baskerville; a demon hound of some kind is tormenting the people that live there so they have gone to sort it out. While I do believe in demon hounds, I do not believe that man saw one. The hellish creatures will rip you apart in seconds and they certainly do not reside in England. 

The killer we were investigating has gone quiet for weeks, so we have moved on to other cases in the meantime. I still go out at night and search for the killer from time to time though.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” John asks again as he and Sherlock are ready to leave.

I nod and shoo them out,”Yes, now go on before you miss your train.”

He frowns at me but lifts his suitcase,”Do not get into trouble, do you here me? Sara, I mean it!” he warns.

I let out a sigh and cross my arms,”I will be fine. I will look after the flat and keep your beds warm,” I glance at the consulting detective,”Especially yours, Sherlock,” I tease.

He narrows his eyes at me and strides over once John has left. “Don’t go in my room!” he growls.

I smirk,”I may invite Mycroft over and have a slumber party.”

“I hate you,” he mutters.

I kiss his cheek,”I know you do. Now run along.”

He gives me a small smirk, then leaves.

I let out a breath and turn to look out the window. The sun will soon set, then I will be off.

After the night I slept with Sherlock…wow that sounds awful, everything went back to normal. They both dropped the Tom thing and we got on with solving cases and such.

Sherlock and I have grown closer. I think he has accepted the fact that I will not tell him my secrets until I’m ready and that he has no other way to figure them out. We bond over cases and our intellect. Hah, I wonder what he would think if he knew my intellect came from hundreds of years of experience and learning.

~

John and Sherlock returned from their case in only a couple days and we set back into our normal ways. 

No more murders have happened so Sherlock has been taking other cases, I have been helping him and John with them to keep busy. It is quite fun.

We recently solved the Reichenbach mystery and became quite famous for it. Well Sherlock became famous, he is the one that solved most of it. But John and I get attention as well, me more than him. I am the mysterious girl that works with the infamous duo. I mostly get asked if I am Sherlock’s girlfriend, as if!

“What kind of hat even is this?!” Sherlock grumbles as he looks over the present he got from Lestrade. I actually helped him pick it.

“It is a deerstalker,” I tell him as I lounge on the couch.

He is pacing the room while John sits next to me on the couch reading through the newspaper.

“Some sort of…death frisbee?” he pretends to through the hat.

I giggle and glance at John. “What are you reading?”

“They’ve given us name you know,” he tells me,”Boffin Sherlock Holmes, and Mysterious Sara Knightly."

I smile at that,”Ooh, I quite like that.”

“Yours is on page five, John,” Sherlock tells him as he fiddles with the hat. He takes down the ear flaps and his eyes widen in realization,”It's an ear hat!”

“Bachelor John Watson?” John reads with a frown,"Bachelor? What are they implying?"

Sherlock tosses the hat to him,”Why do you care so much about what people say?”

“I don’t, I just…” he doesn’t know how to word it.

“It is just what humans do,” I tell Sherlock,”They cannot help it.”

He glances at me,”And what about you?”

I shrug and lean back,”I am not human, nor are you at times.”

He nods,”Fair enough.”

“Just try to stick with smaller cases this week,” John tells him,”I don’t like all this publicity.”

“Oh I don’t either!” I groan,”People are so annoying.”

“That we can agree on,” Sherlock murmurs with a hint of a smile.

John goes to take a shower and Sherlock busies himself with some sort of science experiment in the kitchen. I decide to sit by him because I am bored.

Sherlock’s phone regularly goes off but he makes no move to get it. I ignore it as well.

I stand and walk to the cupboards. “Do we have any of my dog food left?” I ask as I look.

Sherlock pauses what he is a doing and glances at me,”Dog food?”

I wave my hand,”You know, that cereal I like? That is what I call it. Oh! Found it.” I grab the box and show him.

He looks at me like I am insane,”...That is Oatbran.”

I roll my eyes,”It looks like dog food to me.” I proceed to make myself a bowl.

“…Sara? Why does it bother you to be in the lime light?” he focuses on his microscope again.

I sit across from him and shrug,”I am used to staying in the shadows, so when I am thrown into the light I feel too exposed.”

He nods,”Makes sense. Even I don’t know your past, or your age…” he glances up with an eyebrow raised.

I smile and spoon some bran into my mouth,”Not telling. Guess.”

“Twenty?”

I shake my head.

“Twenty-one through thirty?”

“Nope.”

He slams his fist on the table,”You are lying!”

I giggle,”I swear I am not. You will never guess it, so just give up.”

He growls and focuses on his work.

I swirl my spoon in my milk,”People keep asking if I am your girlfriend. Maybe I should say yes to give them a story,” I tease.

He ignores me.

I chuckle,”I will just admit to being with John. It is half true.”

“Don’t bother. It would ruin his bachelor charm.”

“What about me?” John questions as he walks out of the restroom in a bathrobe.

I wave my hand dismissively,"Nothing of importance."

He makes a face and walks into the living room to sit in his chair. Just as he is about to read his newspaper, Sherlock's phone goes off. 

He sighs,"Shall I get it then?"

"I'm busy," the sociopath murmurs. 

John grabs his phone and I continue to eat my cereal. 

John walks over and hands out the phone. Sherlock ignores him. 

"Sherlock-"

"I told you, I'm busy."

John sighs in frustration,"It's him."

With those two little words, Sherlock freezes and looks like someone just told him he is actually a normal human being. He looks to John and takes the phone. 

I can feel the tension in the air,"...Who is it?"

Sherlock clenches his phone in his fist,"Moriarty."

~

“What I don’t understand, is how he broke into all three?” John says.

Apparently this Moriarty had broken into the Bank of England, Pentoville Prison, and the Tower of London all at the same time. He was found wearing the crown jewels and is now in police custody.

Lestrade shrugs,”Neither do we. He wanted to be caught, but why?”

“He is messing with us,” Sherlock mutters as he paces the room.

“When is the trial?” I ask the inspector.

“Tomorrow. Are you joining us?”

I nod and smile,”Wouldn’t miss it. I like this guy's style."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

There are dozens of people with cameras outside the flat when we leave for the trial the next day. 

They fire off questions retaining to Sherlock and his involvement with Moriarty. 

"No comment," John says for him as he pushes his way through to get to the police car. 

I ignore them and follow John, sitting between him and Sherlock. 

"Now, you have to-" John starts to say. 

"I know," Sherlock interrupts him. 

"You-"

"I know."

"You have to be on your best behavior!" John huffs out quickly. 

Sherlock rolls his eyes and stares at the window. 

"I mean it," John warns,"You cannot be...you."

Sherlock turns to him with an eyebrow raised then looks away,"I will just be myself."

I giggle at how annoyed John is getting. "Sherlock," I say,"You might want to listen to him. You know you can be a smart ass at times-"

"...Or all the time," John mutters, getting a glare from the sociopath sitting next to me. 

I continue,"And that will only make everyone more suspicious with your involvement with Moriarty," I tell him,"Do not make this harder on yourself."

He stays silent then sighs,"I will...try."

Well he did not try that hard because Sherlock wound up in contempt only an hour later for annoying the shit out of the judge. 

I accompanied him back to the flat and stayed with him until the trial was over. We both knew what would happen. 

"Not guilty!" John shouts through the phone,"They found him not guilty! How the hell- No, what are we going to do now Sherlock?" he asks,"Sherlock?"

I watch as Sherlock ends the call and goes to his mind palace. I sigh, what are we going to do?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving along slowly, it will start to pick up more at the end of the Reichenbach fall I promise. Working with Sherlock is always a slow process when it comes to love, I don't want to rush it, yet I don't want to write a bunch of boring shit either.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Two weeks after the trial and we have continued on with cases. 

A kidnapping just occurred and we are now on our way to the crime scene. 

We exit the cab and meet up with Lestrade. 

"That is Miss Mackenzie," the inspector points out,"She was the only one here when the kidnapping occurred."

Sherlock storms over to the woman and proceeds to shout at her,"Miss Mackenzie, you’re in charge of pupil welfare, yet you left this place wide open last night! What are you? An idiot, a drunk or a criminal?! Now quickly! Tell me!" he shouts and rips the blanket from the poor old woman's shoulders. 

She gasps in fright,"All the doors and windows were properly bolted. No one—not even me—went into their room last night. You have to believe me!"

Sherlock suddenly smiles and pats her shoulder,"I do. I just wanted you to speak quickly," he then shouts to the officers,"Miss Mackenzie will need to breathe into a bag now."

I try to contain my giggles at the scene while John just shakes his head. He is used to this. 

We follow Sherlock through the dormitory and to the room the boy slept in. Sherlock eyes the room and looks toward the door, saying the child would have seen every silhouette that passed it. 

I meanwhile examine the room further and follow a strange scent under the bed. 

"Sherlock?" I call as I pull out a bottle of linseed oil. 

He walks over and takes it, he smiles and shouts,"Anderson, I need black light, now!"

I look over the books on the bedside table,"Spy books. This kid is smart." I can see the footprints even though it is under normal light. 

I follow them out of the room while the others are setting up the black lights. 

"It stops here," I tell Sherlock from the hallway. 

He joins me as I stare at the floor. Anderson pauses what he is doing and looks at me with disbelief,"There is no way you can see any tracks without the black light!" he accuses. 

I raise an eyebrow and grab the light from him. I turn it on and point it at my feet where I was staring. His jaw drops and Sherlock smirks at me. 

I hand Anderson the light and pat his shoulder as I walk away to find John. 

"So much more competent than John," Sherlock mumbles happily to himself. 

I smile and lean against a wall with Watson and wait for Sherlock to examine the prints I found. 

"Well, now what?" Anderson questions us with his arms crossed,"The prints stop here. This is a dead lead."

"Think not so rashly," I tisk and crouch on the ground next to Sherlock,"With these we can find out everywhere this man has been."

Sherlock nods and starts picking at the floor,"It is like a map that will lead us straight to the kidnapper," he smiles with me. 

John crouches next to us,"Having fun?"

"Starting to," Sherlock murmurs.

"Maybe don't do the smiling so much, there are two kids missing still," he reminds us. 

I roll my eyes at him and use my nail to easily pick a piece of the wood off the ground,"We will get them in time, John. No need to worry." I raise the wood to my nose and sniff,"Brick dust...vegetation...and..." I frown,"Mercury?"

Sherlock raises an eyebrow,"You got all that with one smell?"

I smile and shrug,"I have a sensitive nose."

"If what you just said has any correspondence to this case, I will eat my tie," Lestrade jokes. 

I smirk and stand,"I hope you are hungry then."

~

"Molly!" Sherlock exclaims and grabs onto the small girl as she is walking out of the morgue.

"Oh hello. I’m just going out-"

"No you’re not," Sherlock says and redirects her back toward the morgue where she works.

She tries to protest,"But, I’ve got a lunch date."

"Cancel it. You’re having lunch with me."

Her eyes widen,"What?"

Poor girl. Sherlock is manipulating her like usual.

"I need your help," he tells her,"It’s one of your boyfriends. We’re trying to track him down. He’s been a bit naughty."

"It’s Moriarty?" John questions.

"Of course it’s Moriarty," Sherlock scoffs.

"Jim wasn’t actually my boyfriend," she cuts in timidly,"We went out three times. I ended it."

He rolls his eyes,"Yes, and he stole the Crown Jewels, broke into the Bank of England and organized a prison break at Pentonville. For the sake of law and order I suggest you avoid all future attempts at a relationship, Molly.

We have now moved on to the lab where Sherlock is using the footprint to gather other information on the kidnapper's whereabouts. 

Molly helps him while John and I stand out of the way. I was never one for science.

Molly is a sweet girl, but she is very timid and has a huge crush on Sherlock. It is quite hilarious. 

I am chatting with John when a word from Molly catches my attention. 

"You’re a bit like my dad," she tells Sherlock who is trying to ignore her,"He’s dead. No, sorry-"

"Molly, please don’t feel the need to make conversation. It’s really not your area."

"When he was dying," she continues,"He was always cheerful, he was lovely. Except when he thought no one could see. I saw him once. He looked sad."

"Molly-"

"You look sad," she tells him,"When you think they can’t see you," she looks over at John and I. 

Sherlock follows her gaze, I make sure to pretend I am still in conversation with John. 

Molly takes a deep breath,"Are you okay? And don’t just say you are, because I know what that means—looking sad when you think no one can see you."

Sherlock looks at her with a frown,"You can see me."

She shakes her head,"I don’t count. What I’m trying to say is, if there’s anything I can do—anything you need, anything at all—you can have me," she makes a face,"No- I just mean. I mean, if there’s anything you need, it’s fine."

He looks confused,"What could I need from you?

She sighs,"Nothing. I don’t know. You could probably say thank you, actually."

"...Thank you?"

She looks away,"Never mind," she smiles weakly,"J-just forget I said anything." She walks sway before he can say more. 

I watch the sociopath from the corner of my eye with a frown. He looks sad? ...What is going on with you Sherlock?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

 

"I think we should be looking for an old unused sweets factory," Sherlock tells Lestrade. 

We are now at the police station telling the inspector our findings. 

"Sweets factory?" he glances at John and I,"Is he serious?"

I nod,"Traces of chocolate was found in the footprint."

Sherlock seems to be in his mind palace when he suddenly opens his eyes,"I'VE GOT IT!" he shouts and rushes out the door whilst shouting the address to the rest of us. 

We make it to the old factory in minutes and rush inside. 

On the floor nearby are dozens of candy wrappers. I crouch and sniff while Sherlock tastes one. 

"Mercury," he mutters. 

I stand and send a smirk to Lestrade,"Happy eating that tie."

He stares at me mouth agape. Sherlock stands,"The story of Hansel and Gretel. The more they eat the faster they die."

"Neat!" Both Sherlock and I say together. 

John gives us a disapproving look. I roll my eyes at him and then turn around, my ears perking up. 

"They are over there!" I shout and rush through the building. 

I get there just before Donovan and crouch by the sickly children. 

"Please...Help us," the little girl croaks as she holds onto her unconscious brother. 

"We need help!" Donovan shouts for others. She then gives me a dirty look. 

I smirk and stand, taking a step back as the children are taken care of by the police.

We leave for the hospital where the kids get treatment, and wait for our turn to talk to the girl who is the only one awake. 

"Don't scare her," John reminds his friend.

"She is just a child!" Sherlock scoffs,"I wouldn't dare."

Lestrade walks out of the girl's room,"All yours. She is a bit shaken so be gentle with her."

We nod and Sherlock enters first with a sweet smile on his face,"Hi, we would just-"

As soon as the girl turns to look at him, she starts to scream bloody murder. 

Our eyes widen and Lestrade pulls us out of the room. 

~

"Why did she react like that to Sherlock?" John questions as we sit in Lestrade's office. 

The man shrugs,"She was still freaked out from the whole ordeal," he glances at Sherlock,"Well don’t let it get to you. I always feel like screaming when you walk into a room. In fact so do most people," he chuckles. 

Sherlock gazes out the window, not commenting. 

I sit atop the inspector's desk and grab at his tie, I smirk at him,"I hope you did not forget your bet?"

He gulps then frowns,"So how did you know about the murcury?"

"Yeah," Donovan joins in from the doorway,"You found out that clue before we even knew where to look. And Sherlock," she glances at the man,"You found the location from just a wood sample."

John smiles,"They are both brilliant, aye?"

She nods slowly,"Yeah."

Sherlock walks toward the door and she steps in front of him,"Almost too good to be true."

Sherlock just pushes past her with John following. I narrow my eyes at her,"What are you insinuating?" I growl as I hop down from the desk. 

She shrugs,"You two just seem inhuman at times."

I smirk as I pass her,"Maybe we are."

~

3rd person POV:

"The footprint. That’s all he has. The footprint…" Donovan mutters, looking pensive.

Lestrade shrugs,"Yeah well you know what he’s like. CSI: Baker Street."

She crosses her arms,"Well our boys couldn’t have done it."

"Well that’s why we need him. He’s better."

"That’s one explanation."

Lestrade frowns,"What’s the other?"

She looks out the window,"Only he could have found that evidence. And then the girl screams her head off when she sees him," she turns to the inspector,"A man she has never seen before. Unless she had seen him before."

Lestrade frowns,"What’s your point?"

"You know what my point is, you just don’t want to think about it." She walks to his desk and places her hands on the surface,"And who is Sara? She just shows up one day and starts helping him solve cases."

"She is a friend on John," the inspector mumbles.

Donovan lets out a frustrated sigh,"None of us have been able to find any information on her...except for this." She pulls out a newspaper from her pocket and tosses it on Lestrade's desk.

The inspector slowly takes it and reads the cover article.

"She shows up and starts helping the freak solve all these big cases," Donovan tells him,"If that isn't suspicious, I don't know what is."

Lestrade frowns,"...Serona Knight."

~

Sara's POV:

When I get back to the flat, I find Sherlock searching the room for something. 

John gets a call from Lestrade saying that the police are coming for Sherlock. 

My eyes widen as the sounds of sirens hit my ears. I turn to the sociopath,"We need to leave!"

"No," he says calmly as he pulls on his coat. 

"Are you insane?! They are going to take you to jail!"

He ignores me and slowly, methodically, puts on his scarf. 

The door then bursts open and men start handcuffing Sherlock. John holds me back. 

"Sherlock Holmes, I’m arresting you on suspicion of abduction and kidnapping," Lestrade sadly takes him away while John and I stand there in shock. 

Donovan then strolls into the room with the chief of police behind her. 

"Can't say I'm surprised," she says to us,"I told you he was going to get bored one day and be the one doing the kidnapping," she cocks her head and walks closer to me,"And what about you? You suddenly show up, solving cases, helping Sherlock. You made it too easy for yourself, that is what tipped me off. It's your fault the freak is in cuffs. I tried to get you a pair as well, but the chief said-"

I stop her with a heavy punch to the face. I am seething in anger. How dare she speak to me that way!

I am then being shoved against a wall and handcuffed then taken downstairs and pinned against a police cruiser next to Sherlock.

"Nice of you to join me," Sherlock smiles, "Can't say I'm surprised though."

I roll my eyes,"Oh shut it,"I huff a laugh,"Wasn't planning on it, but you know how that bitch gets under my skin," I watch as Donovan is taken out on a stretcher, unconscious. 

Sherlock smirks,"Well done."

The police chief then walks out with a bloody nose, and John and slammed against the car next to Sherlock.

"Joining us?" I ask him.

John sighs,"Yeah. Apparently it’s against the law to chin the Chief Superintendent."

Sherlock and I both smile.

"Bit awkward, this," I mutter.

John nods,"There’s no one to bail us."

"Mrs.Hudson maybe?" I ask.

Sherlock shakes his head,"I was thinking more about our imminent and daring escape." He grabs a walkie and shrill sound escapes each ear piece and walkie on the police. 

I squeeze my eyes shut and cry out as the sound makes my head swim. 

I am suddenly pulled away from the car and I notice Sherlock has his arm around me and John. He has a gun as well.

"STAY BACK!" he shouts and shoots into the air,"DROP YOUR GUNS!"

"Do what he says!" Lestrade shouts and complies. 

"Just so you’re aware, the gun is his idea," John tells the police, looking like a deer in headlight,"I’m just a… you know…"

Sherlock points his gun to John's head,"My hostage!"

"Hostage," Watson nods,"Yes, that works. That works. So what now?" he asks the sociopath.

"Doing what Moriarty wants: becoming a fugitive. Run." Sherlock tells us and takes off, dragging the both of us behind them.

"Fucking hell, Sherlock!" I hiss as we break into a run away from the cops. 

"Brilliant!" John says with sarcasm,"What next?"

"Haven't thought that far yet," Sherlock huffs as he runs. 

John and Sherlock are actually handcuffed together, so they are forced to hold hands as they run. I will have to remember this later to tease them with. Luckily I was handcuffed alone and I easily broke my cuffs with my vampiric strength. 

I vault over a tall metal gate and wait for the others. Only to see Sherlock get over it and John get stuck on the other side with their hands connected at the top. 

"Wait, wait!" John stops him,"We are going to need to work together."

Sherlock sighs and nods. I wait for them to join me, then we take off again. 

We rest by a wall and look around for cops. I notice a man down the street from us, watching. 

"We are being followed," I tell them. 

"Cops?" John wheezes, looking very out of breath. 

Sherlock spots the man as well,"I don't think so." He takes off running, dragging John with him,"Come on."

I follow after them and notice the man is following as well. 

"We are doing?" John huffs. 

"We are going to jump in front of that bus."

My eyes widen,"Are you insane?!"

Sherlock takes off,"Don't come after us, Sara!"

I wait against my better judgement and clench my hands into fists as I see a bus coming toward my friends as they stand in the street. 

The man that has been following us shoves me aside and tackles John and Sherlock out of the bus's path. 

I flit toward them and watch as Sherlock pulls a gun on the man. 

"Tell me what you want from me," he shouts,"Tell me!"

The man raises his hands fearfully,"He left it at your flat."

"Who?" Sherlock demands.

"Moriarty."

"What did he leave?"

"The computer key code."

Sherlock's eyes widen,"Of course. He’s selling it. The program he used to break into the Tower. He planted it when he came around," he turns back to the man,"Why did you save me?"

"We cannot let you die."

"Why-"

A gun shot rings out and I see the man fall before us. I look across the street and spot the sniper. 

Sherlock gasps and looks around. He drops his gun and pulls John after him down the street. 

I groan,"For god sake- Sherlock!" I shout and pick up the gun and flit after them. I pocket the gun,"You cannot leave evidence near a man who has just been shot!" I chide,"They already want to arrest you, don't give them more against you."

He stares at me a moment looking a bit shaken. He then frowns at my hands,"How did you get free of your cuffs?"

I look down at my hands,"...They were loose."

He doesn't look convinced,"You-"

"Guys," John calls us, he is staring at a newspaper,"Have you seen this?"

I take it from him. It is an article written by a woman named Kitty. She talks about how Sherlock and I are frauds, she even has extensive information on Sherlock and I. 

My eyes widen, she even has my real name. 

Sherlock looks at his own copy and snarls,"Where did she get this information?!"

"That is what I am wondering," I growl. 

"Looks like someone with the name of Rich Brooke," John tells us. 

"Let's pay them a visit, shall we?"

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	7. The fall

Chapter 7:

 

We follow Sherlock to Kitty's house...don't ask me how he found it. 

I broke us in and now we are sitting on her couch waiting for her to arrive home. 

Sherlock breaks the silence,"Serona Knight."

I freeze but try to no show any reaction,"Hm?"

He stares at me,"That is your real name. Why did you lie to me?"

I avoid his stare and shrug,"That is my business."

"How did she get this information?"

I turn to glare at him,"I should ask you the same. She has your life story as well."

He is glaring back,"How can she know more than me?" he hisses,”I've searched all I could about you, but I came up with nothing!" He turns on John,"Did you know her name was not Sara?"

John's eyes widen,"Uh- I..."

Sherlock growls in frustration,"I knew it!"

I frown at him,"I have told you many times I will not tell you my past. Do not get mad at John for keeping my secret!"

I hear a car door open outside and smell that it is the girl. 

"Quiet," I tell Sherlock as he starts to say something,"She is here."

He frowns but stays silent. 

The girl walks in and looks surprised to see us. She is calm though and even gets John and Sherlock out of their handcuffs. 

Sherlock questions her about Rich Brooke but she says little. I then get the scent of someone we all know too well. 

I stand and glare at the door,"Sherlock. He is here."

He frowns,"Who-"

The door opens and in walks Moriarty. He is dressed like a slob with his hair all out of place. 

He freezes when he sees us and starts to shake in fear,"Y-you said they wouldn't find me, you said I would be safe here!" he yells at Kitty.

Sherlock stays silent, I growl and take a step forward but he stumbles back,"NO! No stay back!" he shouts. 

Kitty rushes in front of him protectively. 

"That’s your source?,” John questions,"Moriarty is Richard Brooke?”

"Of course he’s Richard Brooke. There is no Moriarty,” Kitty tells us,"There never has been. Look him up."

John narrows his eyes at her,"What are you talking about?” he questions,"Don't you know who this man is?!"

"Rich Brooke is an actor Sherlock Holmes hired to be Moriarty."

"Bullshit!" John seethes,"He has killed people!"

"No, that was a character he played," she explains,"His name is Rich Brooke. He is an actor, Sherlock paid him to do all those things. It wasn't real."

I start to laugh,"You've got to be kidding me."

She shakes her head and goes to grab a stack of papers,"This is evidence that it is all true!" She shows them to John and I. Papers of Moriarty's fake identity Rich Brooke. Beautifully forged documents and resumes. I can tell John is wavering a bit. 

"I am Rich Brooke," Moriarty tells us with pleading eyes,"He paid me to do those things. To take the fall and go to trial. He promised I would walk free. P-please believe me."

I grip John's arm,"Do not believe him!" I snarl,"He is lying."

Sherlock stays quiet the entire time, looking to be in shock. He then grits his teeth and glares at Moriarty, he charges at him. 

"NO! STAY BACK!" Moriarty screeches and runs upstairs into a room and locks the door. 

Sherlock and I follow. I break down the door, but he is already gone through the window. 

I growl in frustration and run my hand through my hair. 

Sherlock storms back downstairs and Kitty steps in front of him as he tries to exit the apartment. 

"You know what Sherlock? You, repel me," she tells him. 

Sherlock walks past her and John shoves her aside as he storms after his friend. 

I stomp down the stairs and shove the girl against the wall. My eyes turn red as I glare at her. "If you are smart, you will run away and never return," I hiss,"If you ever reveal more about my life, I will not hesitate to kill you! The information on me that you got, was only a fraction of my long life." I drop her and smash my elbow in her face, knocking the bitch out. 

I leave the apartment and find John and Sherlock waiting outside for me. 

"Can he do that?” John questions,"Completely change his identity? Make you the criminal.”

"He’s got my whole life story,” Sherlock snarls,"That’s what you do. You sell a big lie. Wrap it up in a truth to make it more palatable.”

I cross my arms,"It’ll be your word against his.”

Sherlock paces around, pulling at his scarf,"He’s been sowing doubt into people’s minds over the last twenty-four hours. There’s only one thing he needs to do to complete his game, and that’s—“ He falls silent and stops pacing.

I frown,”Sherlock?”

He shales his head,"There’s something I need to do.”

“Well, can we help?” John asks.

Sherlock waves down a cab,"No, on my own.” He sends me one last glance before getting in the car and leaving.

I watch him go then turn to John,”What now?"

He shakes his head,"I am going to his brother to figure out what is going on," he tells me,"Want to come?"

I nod and smile cheekily,"Not much else to do."

We leave for Mycroft's office and wait for him to show up. 

We sit silently in the dimly lit room. John is very serious, more so than I have ever seen him.

Mycroft walks into the room and pauses when he sees us. John turns on a lamp and glares at the tall man,”Sit.”

Mycroft glances at me and complies. He clasps his hands on his lap and waits.

"It was you," John accuses,"You sold them out."

My eyes widen in realization. How did I not think of this before?

Mycroft sighs,"I never imagined this would happen. I only-"

"You never thought that given Moriarty info on us would come back to bite you?" I question with my arms crossed. 

He looks down,"I know it was not my place to give out your information Sara, but that was the only way he would talk."

I shake my head,"I am not angry about that. I am angry that you sold out Sherlock," I tell him,"You only gave out meaningless information like my real name and some places I used to live in, even some murders I was "involved" with. But we both know I could drop off the face of the earth tomorrow and not even you would be able to locate me. I will be fine, but Sherlock cannot do that. He is only human and he is vulnerable."

Mycroft sighs again,"I was only trying to protect him."

"Well you are doing a great job at that," John sniffs with sarcasm. 

"Moriarty is a dangerous man, but I know you will beat him."

"You better hope so," I murmur. 

John stares at the man with disgust then gets a text from Sherlock, telling us to meet him at Bart's hospital. 

"I will catch up with you in a bit," I tell John as he leaves for the hospital. 

I sit across from Mycroft, studying him. 

He leans back in his chair,"Should you not be following him?" He asks. 

I ignore his question,"You know something, don't you?" 

He smiles sardonically,”Can't get anything past the great Serona Knight."

I narrow my eyes,"Why would Moriarty want to know about me?"

He shrugs,"You are mysterious to both Sherlock and the public. You suddenly show up, no information regarding your past, and you start helping with cases. It is no surprise he would want to know who is he now facing."

"He should know not to mess with me."

"Yet he is still alive, and you are the vulnerable one at the moment," he gibes. 

I glare,"There are five assassins watching each of us at every given moment. You know I cannot make a move without getting one of my friends killed."

He cocks his head to the side,"Friends?"

I clench my hands into a fist,"I may be old, I may not even be human, but I do have a conscious at times," I growl,"I create bonds with people, unlike you. And yet, I would still be sad if you died."

He frowns,"So powerful, yet you show the simplest of weakness's. Love," he spits out the word as if it disgusts him. 

I cock my head to the side and slowly stand,"You act as if you do not care, but you do for your brother, as well as others."

He raises an eyebrow,"Others?"

I smirk and saunter toward him and take a seat on his lap. He visibly freezes and looks very uncomfortable. His heart rate spikes at an almost alarming rate. 

He glances up at me,"I think you are mistaking sexual attraction for love."

I raise an eyebrow,"Am I?" I question,"I think I have lived long enough to tell the difference. I see the same look in Sherlock."

His eyes narrow,"Don't compare me to my brother!" He growls. 

"Then stop acting like him." I get off him and walk toward the door. 

"....Who would you choose?" Mycroft asks softly. 

I stop but don't turn,"Neither," I answer,”I've been a Holmes before, I do not wish to do so again."

"Why do you torture yourself by being near him then?"

I sigh,"Because I love him. I love all the Holmes brothers, including you. But I refuse to get any closer than what our friendship already is." I leave without waiting to hear his reply. 

I flit to the hospital and find John and Sherlock in the lab, hiding out from the police. 

"What now?" I ask them. 

"We wait for Moriarty to make a move," Sherlock tells me. Something is wrong, I can feel he is lying to me. 

I don't voice my concerns. 

We wait for hours, the sun is starting to rise. John has fallen asleep with his head on a table, and Sherlock sits on the ground bouncing a ball. 

"Sara, why did you lie about your name?" Sherlock suddenly questions. 

I look over at him from my place on the counter. "I change my name every few years when I move," I tell him. 

"Why?"

I shrug,"I have enemies, same as you. Also, I do not like people to know my identity and past."

He hums and rolls the ball in his hand,"Serona Knight," he glances up at me,"It suits you."

I smirk and jump down off the counter. I take a seat by him,"William Sherlock Scott Holmes. That suits you."

He smiles and looks down. I stare at him a moment then lean my head against his shoulder. "Sherlock?"

"Hm?"

"Do not do anything reckless," I tell him,"I worry about you."

He glances at me. I continue,"I care about you. I know how you Holmes brothers are, but just because you think you cannot care, doesn't mean others don't about you."

I feel him hesitatingly grab my hand. He doesn't need words to tell me that he cares as well. 

I am starting to feel a bit faint. It has been a few days since I last had blood and the effects are getting to me. 

John's phone goes off and he wakes up startled. He checks his phone and Sherlock stands, starting to pace. 

John's eyes widen,"Jesus! Mrs.Hudson’s been shot," he stands and grabs his coat,"Let's get going-"

"No, I am staying here," Sherlock says in a monotone voice. 

John looks at him in shock,"She is dying! Sherlock, how can you not-"

"I don't care. I am busy."

John looks at him with disgust then shakes his head,”Sod this. I don't have time to argue right now," he looks at me,"Sara are you…” he frowns,"Are you okay?"

I have my head in my hands, trying to not fall over. Once the dizzy spell passes I raise my head and give John a look he knows all too well. He nods,"I will be back soon."

He leaves and the room falls silent. 

Sherlock gets a text, then says,"I'm going to the bathroom."

I don't reply, ignoring whatever he is really going to do. 

I need blood but there is no one here and no freshly dead bodies to drink from. 

If I went with John, the sun would have fried me. As clouded as England is, when I am low on blood my skin becomes super sensitive and paper thin. 

~

I dont know how much time has passed in my daze, but I get a text from Sherlock telling me to go out to the front of the building. 

Sara: I do not feel well. 

Sherlock: Go outside now. Please do this for me. 

I frown at his strange text and sigh. I slowly stand and pull on a hoody to hide my face from the sun. 

I walk through the hospital and out the front doors. I spot John in the street looking up at the hospital. I jog over to him. 

"Sara, turn around," I hear Sherlock say from John's phone on speaker. 

I turn and see Sherlock on the roof of the hospital. 

"Sherlock...what are you doing?" I hesitatingly ask. 

I see him gulp,"This is my note,” Sherlock says,”…Isn’t that what people do? Leave a note.”

My throat tightens,"Sherlock, why are you doing this?"

"I am keeping you both safe," he looks off into the distance,"They are right."

"Sherlock, don't do this," John pleads. 

"I am a fraud," Sherlock continues,"I lied about everything. I hired him to play Moriarty, I designed the cases for us to solve. All because I was bored!"

I shake my head,"Your lying!"

He ignores me,"I have been revealed, and I cannot live like this."

John looks like he is going to be sick,"Sherlock... Please don't do this."

Tears start to prick at my eyes when I realize how serious he is. My powers are so weak, there is no way I could save him. 

I choke back a sob,”We can save you. Mycroft can-“

“Sara, I have grown closer to you than I thought I would,” he says softly,”I find your company enjoyable, and I hate that you will have to witness this. You two are the only friends I ever had," a tear runs down his cheek,"I-I love you Sara. Goodbye.”

“SHERLOCK!” John roars.

Sherlock tosses his phone, then steps off the edge and drops like a stone.

My heart drops and I feel a scream rip apart my vocal cords. “NOO!"

The thudding sound echoes throughout my mind. My breath catches in my throat and everything becomes blurry and slowed down. I rush toward Sherlock, my hood falls but I ignore the burning sensation from the sun. I see people crowding his body, I push past them and then stop several feet away, covering my mouth in horror.

Blood, so blood on the ground. This should be a normal sight for a vampire, but all I want to do is throw up.

My legs fail me and I fall to my knees, tears running down my face.

I can’t hear his heartbeat!

John stumbles closer,”That's my friend, let me through!” he shouts. Once he sees how awful the situation really is, he looks like he is going to pass out,”H-hes my friend,” he croaks,"My god..."

I feel people consoling me, but I take no notice. I shakingly reach out and weep,”S-Sherlock!”

He is taken away on a stretcher and I feel John pull my hood over my head and hug me. 

How could he do this? W-why?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah that scene still makes me tear up. Such beautiful acting.


	8. Moving on

Chapter 8:

It has been two years since Sherlock’s death. I left London shortly after, unable to stay with the memory of him gone. 

I still remember the funeral as though it were only yesterday.

~

John and I had have been staying at a hotel since… Anyway, we haven’t talked much, nor have we had any contact with Mrs. Hudson. We will be seeing her at the funeral.

Today we will be putting our friend in the ground, something I have become accustomed to over the years, but it never gets easier.

Dressed in my nicest black dress, I link arms with John and we silently make our way to the cemetery.

Meeting up with Mrs. Hudson, we stand next to Sherlock’s grave and pay our respects.

Gazing at the beautiful black marble headstone, I block out Mrs. Hudson’s prattling. 

‘Why would you do this Sherlock? I know it was to save us, but there had to be another way. I should have saved you. If only I would have not been sidetracked-‘ I squeeze my eyes shut and clench my hands,’If only I would have fed earlier. I would have been strong enough to save you in time.’

John clears his throat,”Could you two give me a minute alone?”

I open my eyes and look at my sad friend. I silently nod and pull Mrs. Hudson down the walkway a bit to let John have his privacy. I am still in earshot though, and I cannot resist listening in.

I tune out the landlady once again and focus on my friend.

He is quiet a moment before starting to awkwardly talk,”...Um. Hm. You…” he bites his lip,”You told me once that you weren’t a hero,” he pauses again,”...There were times that I didn’t even think you were human. But let me tell you this, you were the best man and the most human-” his voice starts to crack,"… human being that I have ever known, and no one will ever convince me that you told me a lie. And so…” he tries to blink away tears,”There.” He starts to walk back toward us but pauses and turns around again. Walking to the headstone, he hesitatingly places his hand on the top of it,"I was so alone and I owe you so much. Please, there’s just one more thing. One more thing. One more miracle, Sherlock, for me. Don’t be…” he looks down and bites his lip,”Dead. Would you do that, just for me? Just stop it, stop this…” he sighs and covers his face, wiping his tears away.

I look down, tears streaming down my face. ‘Goodbye, Sherlock.'

~

I stayed with John for awhile but he eventually found a nice girl so he didn’t need me. 

I returned to traveling the world, and along the way I ran into someone I hadn't seen in decades. 

~

I sat atop a building, gazing up at the moon.

Light footsteps behind me cause me to tense up. Another vampire? No…I know this scent.

My eyes widen. I slowly stand, hearing the footsteps come closer.

“Sara...” I feel their breath upon the back of my neck,”It has been a long time.”

I gulp,”That it has…Tom."

~

Tom and I had retreated back to my flat to talk in peace. 

So now we sit silently in the living room for what seems like an eternity.

“…You look well,” he tells me.

Tom and I met about two and a half decades ago. He was a human and we had fallen in love with each other. He accepted me as a vampire and loved me for who I was. But then he got into an accident and I had to turn him into a vampire to save his life. We lived happily for over fifteen years, but he never did get accustomed to being a vampire. I felt guilty that I had made him into such a creature. So one day I couldn’t handle it anymore, and I left. That was over ten years ago and I haven’t seen him since.

I let out a sigh and try to not be captivated by his bright blue eyes. “Tom, now is not the time for civilities. Why are you here?”

He frowns,”Is it so wrong of me to visit this country? I was born here."

I am currently back in London at John’s request. He is going to ask Mary to be his wife, which I’m sure she will agree to, and I want to congratulate the both of them.

It still pains me to be back, as the memories of Sherlock are still fresh. A vampire’s memory is a curse at times, two years is like two months to me. The other reason I am here, is that Mycroft called me back because there have been numerous murders which he thinks are the work of a vampire.

I give Tom a look. He sighs and bows his head,”Okay. I heard about the recent high number of murders and thought I should check it out. Knowing that it is a vampire, I wanted to keep my people safe.”

Still the sweetest guy I have ever met. ....That is why I had to leave him.

I nod,”I came here for that same reason. Have you any leads?”

Tom shakes his head and runs a hand through his dark curls,”No. I know it is a ripper, but he seems to be hiding his tracks awfully well. I had stumbled upon his base a month or so ago, but he quickly up and left before I had a chance to even see him. He has been on the move ever since.”

I nod again and we fall into a silence again.

“...Why did you leave?”

I bite my lip. I knew this was coming.

“Was it something I did?” he asks looking distressed,”If it was I-I’m sorry. it was never my intention-“

“Tom,” I stop him,”It was nothing you did…it was me. I-I couldn’t stand to be with you.”

His eyes widen in hurt. I quickly shake my head, realizing my mistake,”No, no! I didn’t mean it that way!” I quickly tell him,”You...you are just so sweet, the nicest person I have ever met in all my 300 some years of life. I-I am not nice or kind hearted like you,” my Italian accent starts to make an appearance with my nervousness,”I have done so many terrible things in my life time. I did not want to corrupt you with my darkness.” I bow my head, waiting for him to say something, anything.

But I get no words. Instead, I feel arms wrap around me. He kneels beside my chair and holds me tightly to him. ”…You left me, for over ten years…because you thought you were not good enough for me? That you would corrupt me with your darkness?”

I slightly nod.

He squeezes me tighter and lets out a deep chuckles,”You silly girl,” he pulls back to stare into my eyes, his are glassy with unshed tears. He reaches up to caress my cheek,”…I spent all these years wondering what I had done wrong. Wishing to have you back in my arms. And it turns out, you left because you were afraid of being with me, of hurting me.”

I gulp and feel my eyes start to tear up as well. 

“Sara…I love you. I always have,” he tells me, stroking my cheek,”We have all done terrible things in the past, you are not the only one. I have killed people, children. I hate myself for it, but I cannot judge you. Because I am just as corrupt. We are both demons of the night. If we are damned, then let us be damned together.”

I let out a sniffle and smile, reaching to cup his face,”I still love you as well, Thomas.”

He pulls me into a passionate kiss, putting all his feelings into it. Oh how I have missed this feeling over the years.

Once he pulls away, he sits down with me on his lap and we snuggle.

“So what have you been doing all these years?” Tom asks, nuzzling into my neck.

I play his hand,”I have been traveling a lot. I was here a couple years ago visiting my friend John and… Sherlock.” It hurts to say his name.

He stills,”…Sherlock…Holmes?”

I faintly nod.

Tom does not say anything for quite some time. “...How is he?"

I gulp. How am I supposed to tell him he is dead? I can’t, not now…but when he finds out I lied to him, will he hate me?

”...He is doing well. Very smart, on his way to becoming an accomplished detective.”

He smiles into my neck,”That is good to hear. I am glad.”

I hate to lie to him, especially when we just got back together. But I am still trying to cope with his death, I don’t want him to go through that as well.

~

It has been almost a week since Tom popped back into my life. We have reestablished our old relationship rather quickly, and it feels like we never parted. I have missed him so much more than I had realized. He truly completes me. I just hate that we are building our relationship on a lie.

“Sweetheart, where did you stash the blood?” Tom calls out from the living room of my apartment.

“In the bottom cupboard, behind some old boxes of cereal,” I tell him from my spot on the couch. I smile at my book, I love when he calls me things of endearment with his adorable accent. 

I hear a knock at the door. I jump to my feet with a huge smile on my face, John must be here.

I open the door and John walks in. He engulfs me into a tight bear hug.

I giggle,”So tonight is the night?” I ask.

He releases me and smiles brightly,”Yes, it is. I’m nervous.” 

He looks so dashing in his suit, but his god awful mustache makes him look so much older.

“Don’t be. She will say yes,” I assure him.

Footsteps come from the kitchen. “Were those voices I heard? Sorry, you know how I get without…” Tom walks into the room with a thermos of blood. He smiles when he sees John and walks over to shake his hand. “How are you doing, John? Dinner with Mary tonight, correct?”

John shakes his hand and nods,”Yes. I just wanted to stop by, hoping Sara could calm my nerves,” he smiles sheepishly.

I smile and rub his shoulder,”It will be fine,” I tell him,”How about tomorrow we all go out to dinner to celebrate you two?”

“If she says yes…” he mumbles.

Tom playfully slaps him on the back with a smile,”Stop doubting yourself, mate. Mary is a lovely woman, and I can tell that she loves you very much,” he tells John,”Now go seal the deal.”

John smiles in relief and nods,”I will call you later and tell you the good news.” He waves goodbye and leaves to make it to dinner on time.

I lean against Tom, smiling softly,”They are a good match.”

Tom nods,”They are.”

We then put on a movie and snuggle up on the couch. 

“…Sara?” Tom hesitatingly asks halfway through the movie.

“Hm?”

“Have you ever thought of getting married?”

I frown and turn to him, shaking my head,”Not really since I became a vampire. Growing up I did, like every other teenage girl.”

He frowns,”How come?”

I shrug and look back at the television,”I live for so long, and it is hard for vampires to find love. There are few of us, and to love someone for so long is almost unheard of to vampires.”

“…Would you marry me?”

My eyes widen and I snap my head to him,”I really hope that wasn’t your way of proposing."

He chuckles and shakes his head,”No, never would I do something so…unromantic.”

I giggle. He smiles and grabs my hand,”I just want to know, if you would want to marry me someday?”

I gaze into his deep blue eyes and purse my lips. Would I want to spend the rest of my days with him? There is always divorce, but I always thought that you should marry someone you would love and live with until death. 

I slowly nod,”I would.”

His face brightens up and he pulls me into a deep kiss.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	9. He's back!!

Chapter 9:

3rd person POV:

Currently in Mycroft’s hidden office, Sherlock sits in a chair having his wounds attended to and his face shaven. 

“What about John Watson?” he questions his older brother, looking quite calm for a ‘dead’ man.

“John?” Mycroft asks.

Sherlock nods,"Have you seen him?”

"Oh yes,” he says sarcastically,"We meet up every Friday for fish and chips,” he hands his brother a dossier,"I’ve kept a weather eye on him, of course. We haven’t been in touch at all to… prepare him.”

Sherlock makes a face as he sees Watson’s new look,"Oh no. Well we’ll have to get rid of that."

“We?”

"He looks ancient,” Sherlock says,"I can’t be seen to be wandering around with an old man.” He glances at Mycroft,”Now, what of Sara?”

“Haven't spoken to her either. As you can imagine, keeping an eye on her has been a bit more difficult.”

Sherlock smirks,”Mysterious as always.” He flips through the documents on John,"I think I’ll surprise them. They’ll be delighted.

Mycroft smiles sardonically,"You think so?”

"Hm. Pop into Baker Street,” Sherlock smiles a little,"Who knows, jump out of a cake."

"Baker Street?” his brother questions,”They aren’t there anymore. Why would they be? It’s been two years. They have got on with their lives.”

Sherlock frowns,"What life? I’ve been away.”

Mycroft lets out a sigh,”Sara left a couple weeks after your ‘funeral’. She has not returned to England since.”

Sherlock is silent a moment. “…She left?”

“There was nothing to hold her here. John met a girl, he did not need her anymore."

Sherlock looks down,”Where is she?”

"How would I know?”

"You always know!” Sherlock snarls,”What country is she in?”

Mycroft leans back in his chair,”She is actually in London at the moment.”

Sherlock’s gaze snaps to him so fast that the girl shaving him almost cuts his throat. “She is here?”

Mycroft nods,”Returned a couple days ago, but I imagine she will not stay for long,” he clears his throat,”She will be going to Bart’s hospital tomorrow night to visit Molly."

Sherlock turns his head back and lets the girl continue his shave. “Where is John going to be tonight?”

"He has a dinner reservation in the Marylebone Road. Nice little spot. They have a few bottles of the 2000 Saint-Emilion, though I prefer the 2001."

Sherlock nods,"I think maybe I’ll just drop by.”

Mycroft studies him,"You know, it is just possible that you won’t be welcome.”

"No it isn’t.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	10. Hello brother

Chapter 10:

Sara’s POV:

I don’t hear anything from John over the next day, but I’m not worried. He and Mary are most likely enjoying being engaged, if you know what I mean.

Tom and I are heading to Bart’s hospital to grab some more blood bags. Molly gives them to us, she thinks we are using them for experiments…stupid girl. We could just go hunting, but I know Tom isn’t comfortable with that and I try not to kill in England, Mycroft would have my head otherwise. 

Staring up at the hospital, I feel a rush of emotion as this was where Sherlock killed himself.

“Are you alright?” Tom asks me, holding my hand.

I gulp and nod,”Um..can you wait here for me? I’ll get the blood, it’ll just be a sec."

He frowns but nods. I turn to walk inside but he stops me by grabbing my hand,”How about we go to dinner afterward?” he suggests with a smile,”My treat.”

I smile back,”Sure.” He lets me go and I walk inside and down to the morgue.

It is dark. Strange. Usually Molly leaves it really bright down here so it seems less depressing. I hope she did not forget that we were meeting tonight.

“Molly?” I call out. I sense someone here, but I cannot distinguish who because of the lack of blood in my system.

I round a corner and see a dark figure across the room, they are facing away from me. Looks like a man.

I ready myself in case of a fight,”Who are you? Where is Molly?” I question.

“She left,” he says in a deep voice,”I was told I could find you here.”

My body starts to shake. T-that voice…

He slowly turns around and tears come to my eyes. He smiles softly, looking exactly like he did before he died. ”It is good to see you, Sara.”

I break down and rush into his arms. “How are you alive?!” I sob.

He holds me close and nuzzles his face into my neck,”It was the only way to keep you and John safe,” he murmurs,”They would have killed you had I not faked my death.”

I clench his coat,”You let me believe you were dead for two years!” I growl, feeling anger rise within me.

He holds me tighter,”I was getting rid of the rest of Moriarty’s contacts across the world. It had to be done,” he sighs,"I am so sorry to have put you through that."

I close my eyes and breath in his scent. It's really him. Sherlock Holmes is alive.

I break down again, feeling all the resolve I’ve had over the years disappear in seconds.

He holds me and waits until I calm down.

~

“Have you seen John yet?” I ask him.

We are now sitting in the lab talking.

He nods and points to the bandaid on his chin,”Yes, and he gave me this. I am so glad your reaction was different.”

I giggle,”You are lucky, I could have killed you if I went off like John did,” my eyes widen,”Please tell me you didn’t go to him at dinner?"

He makes a guilty face. I smack his shoulder,”Oh come on! He was going to propose.”

“And how was I supposed to know?!”

I roll my eyes and chuckle,”You sure deserved that and more.”

He grunts and wraps his arm around me.

I glance at him oddly. He frowns,”What?”

“…You are acting different,” I tell him,”You are being awfully…touchy.”

He stares at me a moment in silence,”…I meant what I said that day,” he tells me softly.

I frown confused.

“When I told you that I loved you.”

My eyes widen. With all that has happened, my mind hadn't even paused to consider what he really meant. 

He continues,”You know how I feel about…emotions,” his eyes narrow at the word,”But I have come to realize, that I would do anything to keep you safe. These…feelings, only drive me, not slow me down like I had once thought. You put up with all my craziness, you give me space when I want it, you support my decisions, and you aren't an utter imbecile like all the others.” 

I am so entranced by his words that I tune out everything but him. I never thought he would feel this way.

He caresses my face,”I love you Sara Knightly.” He leans in and I am too dazed to process what he is about to do.

“Sara?”

A voice saves me.

“Darling, where are you?”

Sherlock backs up and drops his hand, hurt filling his eyes,”...Darling?” he croaks.

I open my mouth but nothing comes out.

Tom walks into the room and smiles when he sees me,”There you are. I was starting to worry because you were taking so long…” he trails off when he spots Sherlock.

The sociopath slowly stands,“…Thomas?” Sherlock breaths, looking like he has seen a ghost. He stumbles back a step and gulps,”Thomas...Holmes.”

Tom gulps,”Hello, brother.”  
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I know that the third Holmes brother's name is Sherrinford or something, but I had already used Tom's name so I'm keeping it that way. Makes it easier to picture Tom Hiddleston anyway :)
> 
> Man, I really hope that Tom does show up in the next season of Sherlock. That would be amazing!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

 

Sara's POV:

John looks utterly confused. He quickly glances from Sherlock to Tom. "Wait a minute! You never told me you had another brother," he accuses Sherlock, then he glares at Tom,"And you never told me you were a Holmes!"

We have retired to the flat on 221b Baker street. John has joined us with Mary as well. So many memories from this place.

Sherlock clenches his hands into fists,"I do not. Because, Thomas Holmes died over twenty-five years ago."

Tom smiles weakly at John and shrugs.

I take a step toward my angry friend with my hands raised meaning no harm,"Sherlock, I know this is very confusing and-"

His eyes narrow,"What kind of game are you playing?!" he hisses,"Being with this man who is pretending to be my dead brother! How dare-"

Tom steps in front of me protectively,"This is no trick. I am Thomas Holmes, eldest brother to Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. I-"

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Sherlock shouts,"MY BROTHER DIED DECADES AGO AND YOU LOOK AS THOUGH YOU HAVE NOT AGED A DAY!"

John's eyes widen as he realizes what is going on. He looks to me for confirmation. I give a slight nod. He turns to Sherlock and grips his arm,"Sherlock, you need to calm down. There is an explanation to this, but you need to keep an open mind-"

"OPEN MIND?!" he scoffs, shoving his friend away,"WAKE UP, JOHN! THERE CAN BE NO EXPLANATION TO THIS!"

My anger getting the better of me, I stomp over to Sherlock and slap him hard in the face. Grabbing his scarf to bring his face down to my level, I glare into his eyes with my now red ones,"You need to sit down and listen!" I hiss menacingly. Tossing him across the room, he stumbles into his chair and stares at me with wide eyes.

I stalk towards him and cross my arms,"I am finally going to tell you the truth. Wether you decide to believe me is up to you." I look over at John, Mary, and Tom and give them a look. They nod and leave me alone with Sherlock.

Sherlock stays silent, waiting for my explanation.

I take a seat in John's chair and let out a sigh,"Okay, I'm just going to come out and say it. I am a vampire, and so is Tom."

He stares me, not expressing anything nor saying anything. I continue,"My age is actually three hundred and something, I have lost count over the years. I was born in Italy, that was not a lie. I traveled the world for centuries, first coming to London back in the 1800s and living with my friend Jacob for some time and later with my other friend Ciel," I explain,"I met John in the army, but I was not in the military as I have already told you. I scouted battlefields for fresh dead bodies, easy pickings for dinner. I then met John and became friend with him. I stayed with him for quite awhile before moving on. I-"

"Sara," Sherlock interupts me,"You can't honestly think I believe any of this, can you?"

I sigh in frustration,"Just, listen!" I hiss,"I met your brother when he was at the age of twenty-four, you were only ten or eleven at the time. I remember playing with you from time to time," I smile at the memories,"Of course I went by the name, Serena, back then."

His eyes widen a fraction. Does he remember me now?

I continue,"Tom and I fell in love and he figured out my secret, he did not care what I was. Then tragedy struck. That accident Tom "died" in. He was actually fatally injured. I could not stand to see him die, so I turned him into a vampire to save his life. We kept you and your family in the dark, as he was now a dangerous creature of the night. He came with me and we traveled the world together."

Sherlock gulps,"...So he is the 'Tom' you spoke about in your sleep?"

I nod.

He leans forward with his elbows resting on his knees, and places his hands in steeple over his lips and studies me,"...So you are saying, that you are a three hundred year old vampire...who has turned my brother into one, and is also in love with him. Am I correct?"

I nod,"Yes. Oh, and the murderer terrorizing London, he is a vampire."

He stares at me silently for at least five minutes, before finally standing. "Well, you are insane."

My jaw drops. I quickly stand,"I know this seems crazy, but you have to put some belief in it-"

"Belief?" he scoffs,"What belief could a vampire hold anyhow? Are you not the devil's minion? Going around and drinking blood to sate your ludicrous wishes and give your loyalty to your master. Do you get together every Friday night with your occult friends and sacrifice a lamb?"

I clench my hands into fists. I stalk toward him,"Fine. I will make you believe then!" I hiss.

Lunging at him, I pin him onto the couch and grip his throat, showing off my incredible speed and strength. I let my eyes turn blood red and extend my fangs. "This is no illusion! No trick!" I growl, watching his eyes grow wide with fear. Still holding his neck with only hand, I sit up and bite the wrist on my other arm, letting my blood spill out of the wound. "Watch," I tell him.

He does, and right before his very eyes he sees my wound begin to heal itself. Within a minute there is no trace of any wound, only some dried blood on my arm.

I release him and stand, watching as he takes in a huge breath of air, scrambling off the couch away from me in horror. "T-this can't be real!" he stutters,"Like the demon hound of Baskerville, this has to be a trick!" he shouts.

Tom and John walk back into the room. My lover quickly making his way to me when he sees blood on my arm. I give him a weak smile,"I'm fine."

"Sherlock..." John calmly approaches his friend,"Sherlock, I know this is insane. Believe me, I do. But this is all very real. I have known Sara's secret for years-"

Sherlock suddenly stands, a smile on his face,"I understand!"

John frowns,"...You do?"

He nods,"Yes," he walks to Tom and I,"You two...must have some sort of genetic age disorder."

I face-palm myself,"Oh dear lord."

Sherlock paces around the room in thought,"Yes, that must be it. This disorder causes the slowing of age, traits such as red eyes and lengthened canines. A brain defect! Making you believe that you are a vampire."

I turn to John with my arms crossed,"I told you he would not believe me if I told him."

John lets out a frustrated sigh and leaves the room with a confused Mary.

"Brother, this is no disorder," Tom tells Sherlock,"Vampires are very much real. It has something to do with our blood-"

"A blood disorder?" Sherlock murmurs to himself.

Tom's jaw clenches,"This is no disorder!" his voice raises,"You can even ask Mycroft! Maybe you will listen to him."

His brother pauses mid step,"...Mycroft knows of this?"

I nod,"He does. He knows all about vampires, In fact, most high officials do. Some are even vampires. In fact, the Queen-"

"Mycroft knew you were alive?"

Tom nods,"Yes, he did."

"Does mother and father?"

"No. They do not."

Sherlock faces the window, not saying anything.

"Doesn't this seem familiar?" I ask, glaring at Sherlock,"Kinda like how you lied to John and I."

"This is different," he scoffs.

I tug Tom's hand,"Let's give him time to think."

He nods. As we go to leave, Sherlock stops me.

"Sara?"

I turn to him,"Yes?"

"...Could you stay here? I would like to talk more."

I frown,"Uh, sure." I turn to Tom with a sad smile and lean up to give him a quick kiss,"I will see you tomorrow?"

He nods and pulls me into a hug before leaving.

I walk to John's chair and take a seat. 

Sherlock stares at the window,"I finally give into my...feelings, and this is what happens," he smiles sardonically at me,"Don't tell me, Mycroft is in love with you as well?"

"Well..." I trail off.

He glares and turns back to the widow,"A simple no would have sufficed. No need to go through all this trouble of finding a man to look like my brother-"

"This again?!" I shout and stand,"Get it through your thick skull! Tom is alive! The only reason I am with him again is because you "died"!"

He frowns,"What do you mean? How is this my fault?"

I shrug dramatically,"Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that your death left me hopelessly sad and alone!" I step toward him,"If you would have told me it was all fake earlier and confessed your feelings, we could have been together right now!"

He lowers his gaze. I turn my back on him,"Goodnight, Sherlock." 

This day has been emotionally exhausting and I have still not had any blood. So I just go to Sherlock's room to sleep instead of going to my flat.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sherlock’s POV:

“You knew… All these years, and you never told me!” I hiss.

“Because I knew you would react like this,” Mycroft sighs,”I was protecting you. Vampires are dangerous creatures, not a business you want to get into.”

“You let Sara stay with us. Is she not dangerous?” I question.

Mycroft clasps his hands together on his desk,”She is very dangerous indeed. She is one of the oldest living vampires to date, she has spread fear throughout the world over the centuries. She has killed kings and has become king herself, but now she works against the darkness. You have seen first hand of her trying to keep London safe,” he tells me,”She is atoning for her actions in a way I believe.”

I pace around the room. I had thought she was different. But no, she is just another Irene Adler. A criminal.

“I know that look. Sherlock, she is nothing like Irene. She-“

“Did she kill Irene?” I question, suddenly remembering Sara's and my first conversation.

‘She was tasty.’

Mycroft pauses,”…Yes. Yes, Sara killed Irene. But in a way she did this country and world a justice by doing so.”

“She is just a murderer!” I scoff,”A manipulative creature, just like Irene.”

“That is not true and you know it. I know you have feelings for her, you are just hurt that she is with our brother,” he tells me,”Worry not, he is just an old flame. I doubt they will stay together for long.” 

I bristle. 

He then continues,"Sara does not manipulate, she has no need to do so. She has what other criminals, like Irene and Moriarty, do not. She has true power,” he leans back in his chair,”She does not need to use fear, or others to do her dirty work. She is strong enough to do it all herself, and that I commend her for.”

I turn to him in anger,”So you ignore the fact that she has killed probably hundreds of people in her lifetime?!”

He stands,”She has done a lot of good for this country!” he barks,”To live as long as she has and not committed a crime would be impossible! Her past is just that, the past. I look to the future.”

I shake my head and go to leave the room. 

This is like Baskerville all over again. But there was an explanation for that, and I know that there is this time too. Vampires cannot exist! They are fictional, made up! To believe that they are real is absurd.

"Sherlock, must I remind you why you are even back in London?"

I pause, gritting my teeth. 

"London is in danger. There’s an imminent terrorist attack and you need to stop it," he reminds me,"You need to put Tom and Sara on hold for the moment and take care of what is of the most importance."

I clench my hands into fists,"I'll get it done." I then storm out of the office and take a cab back to Baker street. 

I open the door to our flat, and I am greeted by the sight of Sara and my brother snogging. 

'Why does it have to be my brother of all people?! Could she not have chosen anyone else?!'

I clear my throat to catch their attention. 

They break apart and Sara smiles at me,”How was your visit with Mycroft?”

The things she has told me. Her speed, strength, incredible sense of smell. It all makes sense now, but then again... it still does not. 

“It was fine,” I take off my scarf and coat.

“Why don’t we have a chat over some tea?” Tom asks me, standing. “I am sure we have a lot to talk about.”

“That we do not,” I murmur, turning to walk into the kitchen,”I refuse to talk to you, fake brother of mine.”

“Lock, don’t be like this,” he follows me.

I pause. It has been years since I’ve heard him call me that. I gulp and look in the cupboards for tea.

“You used to look up to me,” he continues to speak,”You were a lot closer to me than you were with Mycroft.”

I slam the cabinet shut. “Yes, I was,” I spin to look at him,”But how can I look up to you when you look fucking younger than me?!” I shout,”YOU ARE A STRANGER TO ME! YOU ARE NOT MY BROTHER!”

He stares at me with hurtful, guilty eyes. I do not care, Tom has always been like this. He could make anyone feel bad by just looking at them with his damn puppy dog eyes. Everyone except for me.

I had looked up to him, but I had also envied him to no end. He was fourteen years my senior at the time and was always the favorite. He had many friends, many achievements, everything I wanted but knew I could never have. I realized early on that I was very different from other children, but I accepted it and pushed on.

Walking past him, I am stopped by Sara. 

I glare at her,”Move!” I growl.

She ignores me and reaches up to caress my face. ”Sherlock, calm down,” she gazes into my eyes and I feel myself starting to calm. “Tom didn’t leave you on purpose. I had to turn him…and I have regretted it for years. I couldn’t let him die, but he is not fit for the vampire life. He wanted to return to his family many times, but I stopped him because I knew how dangerous it could be when you are a new vampire to be around humans.” She drops her gaze.

I gently grip her hand that still caresses my face. “What did you do?” I whisper, seeing the anguish on her face.

She gulps,”…I was turned when I was only seventeen. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time,” she shakes her head,”I had no idea what was happening to me. I was scared. Back in that time, being different was a dangerous thing…so I hid my powers and tried to become accustomed to the new changes,” a tear slides down her cheek which she quickly wipes away,”I-I could not control my thirst. One day…I snapped. I-I killed my parents and younger brother.” She falls silent, not daring to lift her head.

I have only seen this side of her once. It was when she found out I was alive. She hates to show weakness to others, so this is hard for her. I had not realized all the shit she had gone through in her life…not that I fully accept that she is a vampire.

Lifting her chin, I gaze into her blue eyes,”You have been through so much,” I murmur.

“Do not pity me-“

“I’m not. Just making a statement,” I assure her.

Someone clears their throat behind us. We quickly pull apart and spot Tom looking at us with uncertainty and suspicion.

“Sara, are you all right?” he asks.

She nods and turns away,”I-I’m going to go feed,” she quickly leaves the room.

I frown. …What was that?

Tom turns his gaze onto me and narrows his eyes. 

Do I detect...jealousy?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	12. "A terrorist attack?"

Chapter 12:

 

Sara’s POV:

My close encounter with Sherlock has me confused. I have never seen him so…considerate? Thoughtful? I don’t think I have seen him express those feelings since he was a child.

Back when I first met Tom, I met Sherlock as well. I became a good friend of the family, his parents loved me and Mycroft and Sherlock adored me. Sherlock was a strange little boy, but he wasn’t as guarded when he was around me. He would tell me anything and everything. Now that he is older, his walls are thicker than ever. But I think I’m starting to get through them once again.

Leaping onto a building wall, I quickly scale it and look over the cityscape. Scanning for my next victim.

I care for Sherlock a lot, and it hurt when he reacted as he did when I revealed my secret. He still does not believe me, not fully at least. But I think he is getting there. 

~

The next few days are quiet. John is continuing life as a doctor, Tom and I have been strolling around the city, and Sherlock has been working on a case with Molly I hear. 

Molly? Sherlock must be desperate without John and I to think of resorting to her. I mean no offense, but Molly isn't exactly the detective type. She works better behind the scenes, cutting up bodies. 

Anyway, Mycroft is sending Tom on a mission in the US tonight. Tom has worked with his brother over the years, gathering evidence and taking out potential threats to England. He is being sent off again and for quite some time. It will be lonely without him, but I am going to try and makeup with Sherlock, hopefully try to regain our old friendship. John is going to do the same, I know he is just itching to help with a case, same as me. 

~

Tom and I are currently walking through town. It is nighttime and some sort of festival is going on. 

We stroll through the park hand in hand. I watch as some folks light up a huge bonfire. Everyone starts to cheer and enjoy themselves. 

"Strange traditions," I murmur with a frown. 

Tom chuckles and kisses my head,"All humans have strange traditions. It is interesting to see how they change over the years."

I nod,"It is indeed. Many real traditions have been lost for so long. Most do not know the true origins anymore."

We walk closer to the festival, watching the happy people dancing around and playing with fireworks. 

"...Help."

I pause and glance at Tom,"Did you hear that?"

He frowns,"Hear what-"

"...Help!" it comes louder this time. 

My eyes widen,"John?" I look around and shout,"John!"

I try to pick up his scent but it is impossible within this crowd of people and all the smoke from the bonfire. 

My eyes widen. 'The bonfire!'

Just as I start to sprint toward the mound of fiery sticks, I see a motorbike speed past me and the two passengers jump off it. 

"JOHN!" Sherlock shouts, running toward the fire like I am. 

I make it first and start to dig through the burning wood. 

People around us start to shout and scream in horror as I all but dive into the flames. 

I spot my friend and grip his legs, feeling Sherlock and Tom join me, we quickly pull John out of the flames and lay him a safe distance away. 

Mary crouches next to us, staring at her fiancé with fear. "John!"

Sherlock starts to lightly pat his face to wake him,"John? Are you okay John?"

I tilt John's head back to open his airways. Sighing in relief when he starts to cough and breath in clean air. 

I pat his shoulder and sit back, trying to settle my heart rate. He scared the shit out of me. I was afraid I may lose another friend. 

Sounds of the paramedics hit my ears. They will be here soon. 

Sherlock watches me suspiciously,"How did you know where to find him?"

I frown,"I was just walking through the festival with Tom when I heard him calling for help."

Tom places his hand on my shoulder,"Are you alright?"

I nod,"I'm fine, but I'm not the one you should be asking." I turn back to John and see him sitting up with Mary patting his back. 

John coughs a bit more then says,"I'm fine, I'm fine," he assures us. 

The paramedics finally get here and take a refusing John away. He insists he is okay, but Mary makes him get checked just in case. 

Tom and I take our leave without saying anything to Sherlock. I don't want to get into another fight with him. 

Back at the flat, Tom starts to pack. 

"I will be back before you know it," Tom tells me as he is about to leave. He kisses my forehead and smiles softly, caressing my face,"Keep an eye on my brother for me."

I smile and peck his lips,"I will. Now, go kill some baddies."

He chuckles and takes his leave.

_____________________________________________

 

The next day I decide to call up John and we agree to meet up at Baker street. 

~

"Ring us more often, won’t you? She worries." An elderly man and woman are practically being pushed out of the flat when John and I arrive. 

I recognize them and Tom and Sherlock's parents. 

"Promise?" Sherlock's mother questions. 

Sherlock nods exasperatedly,"Promise."

The couple passes by me to leave, but Wanda pauses next to me. She frowns as she studies my face,"Do I know you?"

I gulp and shake my head,"No, I don't think so."

Tim squints his eyes then smiles widely,"I know!" he exclaims,"From the newspaper. You help our son solve cases."

Wanda claps her hands excitedly,"Oh! You are his girlfriend, right? Mycroft has told us about you."

My eyes widen,"..."

Sherlock stomps toward us and pushes his parents out the door,"Goodbye!"

"Oh, Sherlock!" his mother chides him. She peaks around him and waves at me,"Call me up sometime this week. We can have lunch and get to know each other." 

I smile awkwardly and wave,"Will do."

Sherlock all but slams the door and sighs. 

"Your parents?" John questions. 

Sherlock walks to his chair and takes a seat,"In town for a few days."

"Your parents?" John asks again, looking to be in shock. 

I stroll to John's chair and take seat across from the detective. "I had missed Wanda and Tim," I hum,"Such lovely people. They've aged quite well." 

Sherlock narrows his eyes at me then proceeds to answer John,"Mycroft promised to take them to a matinee of Les Miz. Tried to talk me into doing it."

"Those were your parents?"

Sherlock sighs frustratedly,"Yes."

John walks to the couch and sits,"Well. That is not what I…"

"What?"

He shrugs,"I mean they’re just so… ordinary."

I laugh,"They seem that way, but they aren't totally normal," I tell him,"Wanda is actually very smart, must be where Sherlock and his brothers get it from."

Sherlock watches me with narrowed eyes. Is he still suspicious of me?

"Did they know too?" John asks. 

Sherlock turns to him,"Hm?"

"That you spent the last two years playing hide-and-seek."

Sherlock looks down and plays with his phone,"Maybe."

I cross my arms,"Ah, so that’s why they weren’t at the funeral. Same as Mycroft."

"Sorry," Sherlock sighs,"Sorry again." He then glances at me and cocks his head to the side,"At least they knew I was alive, unlike their eldest son." He then mutters,"If that is their eldest son."

I narrow my eyes,"Low blow, Sherlock. You know that we could not have told them."

"You told Mycroft and me. Why not them?" he questions,"They grieved for years! Almost broke our family apart-" 

"Mycroft was only told because of his position in society!" I tell him,"And you, you were told because you saw him by accident. You weren't ever supposed to know."

He looks at me with hurt in his eyes then looks away and glances at John.

"...I see you shaved it off then."

John clears his throat at the awkward tension in the room,"Huh? Oh yeah. It wasn’t working for me."

I just notice that he has indeed shaved off that terrible mustache. 

Sherlock nods,"I’m glad."

We sit in an uncomfortable silence for a couple minutes. That is until Sherlock gets a text. He lets out an aggravated sigh, making me guess it is from Mycroft. 

He pockets his phone and steeples his hands under his chin. "I can’t see the pattern. It’s too nebulous," he mutters,"Why would an agent give his life to tell us something incredibly insignificant? That’s what’s strange."

John clears his throat,"What are you going on about? Give his life?"

"According to Mycroft," the sociopath tells us,"There’s an underground network planning an attack on London. That’s all we know."

I perk up,"A terrorist attack?"

He nods,"Sometimes a deception is so audacious, so outrageous that you can’t see it even when it’s staring you in the face," he moves to his computer and pulls up a video. Gesturing for us to come watch. "Look. Seven subway carriages leave Westminster, only one passenger. But only six carriages arrive at St. James’s Park, no passenger."

John frowns at the video,"What? But that’s impossible."

"The man didn’t disappear," I murmur,"The entire tube compartment did."

"His name is Lord Moran," Sherlock informs us,"He’s a peer of the realm. Normally he’d sit in the House. Tonight there’s an all-night sitting devoted to the new anti-terrorism bill. But he won’t be there."

My eyes widen,"He is planning on killing everyone that attends."

"Where though?" John questions,"You can't just walk into Parliament with a bomb." 

"It has to be somewhere underground," I tell them,"The missing train carriage, it makes sense."

Sherlock smiles softly,"You are right." He stands and unfolds a map over his desk,"This a map of old England's underground train stations, most of which are unused nowadays but are still there. Air shafts to the surface are all over, leading from such stations," he points to the map,"A certain shaft flows right underneath the House of Parliament."

I cross my arms,"A bomb could be detonated miles from the House then, and it could still travel through the vent and take out the entire building."

"Oh my god..." John whispers. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

Sherlock stands,"We need to move. The sitting will start in a few hours."

We grab our coats and bolt out the door. Making our way to the underground station, we slip into an off limits area and follow it down into the dark depths. 

We follow the rails into an unused tunnel, and up ahead I spot the carriage. 

"There it is," I tell the others. 

Sherlock warns us to be careful and we slowly climb aboard the train car. 

No one is there. The entire car is actually empty. 

Sherlock frowns confused,"...I don’t understand."

John snorts,"Well there’s a first."

Sherlock shakes his head,"No. Where is the bomb? It is supposed to be here!"

I look around a little closer and my eyes widen. Pulling out the seat cushion, I see that explosives are laced under every seat. 

"This is the bomb," I whisper. 

"What?!" John exclaims, looking around fearfully. 

Sherlock crouches in the middle of the car and pulls up a metal panel off the ground,"It’s not carrying explosives. The whole compartment is the bomb." A large bomb with a timer sits in the flooring, slowly ticking down to detonation. 

John's hands fly up to his head,"We need bomb disposal!"

"There may not be time for that now," Sherlock mutters. 

I turn toward the doorway,"I will go get help then," I tell then. I try to flit to the surface...but nothing happens. 

My eyes widen with fear. 

"Sara?" John asks,"What's wrong?"

"I-I cannot use my powers," I stutter looking at my hands. I feel weak. What is causing this?

John starts to pace,"Jesus christ," he runs his hands through his hair and glances at the timer. 

2 minutes left. 

John turns to the sociopath who is checking the bomb, looking for a way to stop it. "So what do we do?"

Sherlock stops and sits back wide eyed,"I have no idea."

I grip my hair,"Well think of something!"

"Mind palace!" John suddenly exclaims. He walks to Sherlock and grips his shoulders, pulling him to stand,"Use your mind palace."

"How will that help?" Sherlock scoffs. 

I groan at his attitude. Now is not the time. "You’ve sorted away every fact under the sun!" I tell him,"You must know something."

"Oh, do you think I’ve just got “How to defuse a bomb” tucked away in there somewhere?" he questions with his arms crossed. 

"Yes!"

He thinks about it then nods,"Maybe."

Sherlock squeezes his eyes shut and places his hands on the sides of his head, thinking hard. 

After a few seconds he lets out a breath and opens his eyes,"I can’t do it," he tells us. Looking at us with sad, fearful eyes,"I don’t know how. Forgive me."

I cover my mouth. This can't be happening!

"What?" John gasps. 

"Please, John," Sherlock pleads,"Forgive me for all the hurt that I caused you."

John shakes his head furiously,"No no no no. This is a trick."

"No."

"Another one of your bloody tricks!" 

"No," Sherlock says again. 

"You’re just trying to make me say something nice," John accuses. 

The sociopath shakes his head,"Not this time."

John glances at me then back to his friend,"I wanted you not to be dead."

"Yeah, well," he chuckles weakly,"Be careful what you wish for. If I hadn’t come back you wouldn’t be standing there. You’d still have a future. With Mary."

"Yeah," John looks down,"I know."

I stay silent. I am never going to see Tom again. My long life is finally coming to an end. 

"Look, I find it difficult-" John clears his throat,"I find it difficult, this sort of stuff."

"I know."

John squeezes his eyes shut,"You are the best...and the wisest man that I have ever known. And yes, of course I forgive you," he opens his eyes and looks at me,"Sara, you are my oldest friend and I am grateful that you came into my life. You have gotten me through so much," he gulps,"If I am to die, I am glad I am going down with you two."

Tears come to my eyes and I smile sadly. I pull him into a tight hug. 

Sherlock turns to me,”Sara."

I release John who stumbles away and leans against the car, eyes fixated on the timer. 

I walk to Sherlock and wait for him to speak. 

He takes my hands in his,"I have to know," he stares deeply into my eyes with his hypnotic blue eyes,"Do you love me back?"

I am at a loss for words. Of course I love him, I love all the Holmes. But I know that is not what he means. 

I gulp and reach up to caress his cheek,"I do."

He smirks,"But you love me more than Tom, correct?"

I frown,"What does that-"

"10 seconds!" John tells us and closes his eyes tightly. 

I narrow my eyes at the sociopath,"Sherlock..."

John makes a scared noise, then there is silence. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

I look around confused. We didn't blow up. 

I walk toward the bomb and peer down at it. The timer has stopped and is blinking. 

Deep laughter erupts from behind me. 

"Your face!" Sherlock mocks John between laughs. 

John's face turns red with anger,"You utter… you!"

"Your face. I totally had you!" He cackles. 

John charges at him,"You cock! I knew it. I knew it! I-"

Sherlock dodges him,"Oh those things, you said such sweet things. I never knew you cared," he smiles and looks at me,"So you do love me?"

My eyes turn red and I successfully tackle him to the ground. My powers may be weakened, but I still know martial arts. 

"You knew! You knew how to turn it off!" I roar. 

He falls apart in laughter again,"There’s an off switch!" he cackles,"There’s always an off switch. Terrorists can get into all sorts of problems unless there’s an off switch."

"And you did call the police," John states. 

The sociopath scoffs,"Of course I called the police."

"I’m definitely going to kill you," John hisses. 

"Not before me!" I growl. 

Sherlock rolls his eyes,"Oh please. Killing me. That’s so two years ago."

We stare at him silently. He frowns,"Too soon?"

I get off him, making sure to elbow him in the gut as I do so. "Much too soon."

I stand and cross my arms,"Did you do something to me?" I question. 

He groans and lifts himself off the ground, holding his stomach. “...Left jacket pocket."

I frown and check my pocket. I feel something and yelp as it burns my skin. I quickly pull it out and drop it on the floor. 

I stare down at it then glare at Sherlock,"Darkwood?! Where did you even get that?"

"Mycroft told me it weakens your kind," he smirks,"He was right apparently."

I bristle,”You went so far, just to have John forgive you and for me to- What is it you wanted from me?” I question,”To hear me say I love you? I do, but I also love Tom. My love for you is different than it is with him.”

“Why?!” he snarls,”Why do you pick him over me? Why does he always get everything?!”

I frown and cross my arms again,”I detect some underlying issues here.”

“Don’t even!” he hisses,”This is not about my brother and I-“

“Oh so he is your brother after all,” I smirk,”Do you believe we are vampires then?”

“Guys!” John shouts to get our attention. “Let’s just get out of here. You two can argue when we are not around a bomb.”

Sherlock and I grumble a bit, but follow him out of the train car.

We meet up with the police and tell them we found and disabled the bomb, then we head for Baker street.

~

I flop down on the couch, still not feeling myself because of the Darkwood Sherlock had planted on me. 

Darkwood is an ancient bark of a tree that weakens and burns vampires. It is like our kryptonite in a way. 

Sherlock takes off his coat and scarf, then heads to his room to change. John meanwhile takes a load off in his chair. 

"What is Mary up to?" I ask him. 

He rubs his face and lets out a tired sigh,"Probably worried why I am not home," he checks his watch,"It's late. I am going to head home. Want to take a cab with me?"

I nod and sit up,"Sure." My apartment is only a street away from him. 

"No, you are staying."

I turn my head and see Sherlock striding into the room in his robe. 

"May I ask why?"

He sits down in his chair,"We need to talk."

I raise an eyebrow,"Talk? No I don't think so," I tell him as I stand,"I am afraid if I stay any longer that I will throttle you."

"I second that," John mutters and stands. He starts to make his way to the door,"While you two settle this, I will just get going."

My eyes widen,"Wait. John!" But I am too late and he is gone. I growl and sit back on the couch, crossing my arms. I move my gaze to the sociopath,"What are we talking about?"

Sherlock studies me carefully,"You left Tom for almost a decade. Why?"

I let out a sigh and lean back into the couch cushion,"Tom was never made for the vampire life," I tell him,"We kill, cheat, steal. Our lives are full of sin, and it hurt me to see Tom thrown into this kind of life. You know as well as I, that he is the sweetest snd kindest person you will ever meet."

He nods,"He was always so different from Mycroft and I," he stares off into space,"Everyone loved and adored him."

I can feel his jealousy over his brother, but decide not to mention it. 

"I had to turn him to save his life," I continue,"But I then had to live with seeing him become a monster. A monster I had created," I look down at my hands,"He never wanted to hurt people, but the creature inside him did. After so long, I just could not bare to see him always at war with himself. I had convinced myself that I was a big reason for it."

"Why would you be responsible?" 

I raise my gaze to him and smile weakly,"I am sure Mycroft has told you of my many regrets in life," I let out a breath,"I have killed so many people in my lifetime. I was cold and heartless at one point, the darkness still swirls within me all the time. I did not want to influence Tom anymore, I also didn't want to hurt people anymore. So I left him and I left my old ways behind me."

Sherlock is quiet for awhile before looking at me,"Why did you get back together with him?"

I let out a groan,"Is Tom all we are going to talk about?"

"Just answer the question."

I run my hand through my hair and shut my eyes,"I saw him for the first time in a decade and all my old feelings came rushing back. He wanted to know why I left, so I told him. He responded with confusion, thinking he had done something wrong all this time. He then convinced me that it was not my fault that he had done terrible, evil things," I open my eyes and glare at the sociopath,"Then we said I love you and got back together. Happy?"

"No."

I groan,"What do you want then?!"

"Do you really love him?"

I roll my eyes,"Of course I do. What kind of stupid question is that?"

He narrows his eyes,"If you really loved him, you would not have left for years," he tells me,"I think whatever love you had for him, has now dwindled and you cannot see this."

I frown,"What am I feeling then?"

"You two are familiar. You have history, that is the most confusing factor in a relationship," he gazes around the room and scoffs,"So many people think they will fall in love with their best friend, but it will never work out! They have history, memories and feelings, which they confuse with actual love," he shakes his head and grumbles,"Imbeciles."

I cross my arms again,"And when did you become an expert in love?"

His piercing blue eyes bare into mine,"The moment I truly felt it. When I realized that I loved you."

I lower my gaze and gulp,"...Sherlock, you don't love me-"

"Why are you so sure?"

I bite my lip,"You can't love me!" I tell him,"I would only ruin your life as I have your brother. I live for centuries-"

"Then turn me. Make me one of you."

My eyes widen,"Are you listening at all to what I am saying?!" I shout,"Your brother, the kindest fucking man on earth, has 'killed' people! You would be fine with murdering children?!"

He stands and walks to me, sitting beside me on the couch. "You know very well that I wouldn't let my emotions take hold of me as they do my brother. If that is the price of being with you for the rest of my life, then so be it," he smiles crookedly,"I could continue to solve cases and become the greatest detective the world has ever known."

I let out a chocked laugh,"Because that's that we need, a Sherlock Holmes that can live forever."

I don't know where this is all coming from all of the sudden. Does he really love me that much? Or is he just trying to manipulate me like he has done with countless women to get his way?

I shake my head and stand, only to stumble a bit as a dizzy spell overtakes me. 

Sherlock catches me and sits me back down,"Sara? Are you alright?" he questions with worry lacing his voice. 

I will give him one thing. He has changed a lot in the time I have known him. He was so cold and uncaring before, but now he is so much different. I see it when he is with John as well. Sherlock cares just as much for his little hedgehog friend as he does me. 

I shake my head,”I need to feed.”

“Does this happen often?”

I smile lazily,”With you it does.”

“Allow me to repay you then. Take mine.”

I do a double take,”Excuse me?”

"Take my blood. You are in no condition to go and get some," he tells me. 

I frown,"Why are you helping me?"

He glowers at me,"Don't make me say it again. You know how I hate terms of endearment."

I give him a look. He sighs,"Whatever you claim you are, I do not care," he tells me,"If you think you need blood, then I will give you some."

I bite my lip then nod,”...Okay. Give my your arm."

He raises an eyebrow,"Not my neck?" he asks playfully. 

I roll my eyes and grab his arm,"Not unless you want me to kill you.”

I roll up his sleeve and glance at him once more,”Ready?”

He nods firmly. 

“It should only hurt for a second,” I tell him,”Then you will feel good.”

He frowns,”Good? What do you-“

I bite into his forearm and squeeze my eyes shut. His blood tastes amazing!

I open my eyes and look to see how Sherlock is doing. He has his eyes shut tightly, trying to fight the oncoming euphoric feelings caused by my feeding. He grips the couch with his other hand and tries to hold back a moan. 

Once I’ve fed enough, I release his arm and wipe the excess blood from my lips. “How are you feeling?” I ask him.

He looks at me with hooded eyes and brings his hand up to caress my cheek. 

“...Sherlock?” I question.

He then moves closer and attaches his lips to mine, kissing me sloppily, and unexperienced.

I quickly push him back and dodge his next attempt. I stand and stumble back, he tries to follow but falls back on the couch, dizzy.

I may have taken too much blood.

“Sara…” he mutters, shaking his head as he tries to get over the dizzy spell.

I grip his arm and pull him to stand,”I’m sorry,” I apologize,”I took too much blood.” I lead him to his room,”You should get some rest-“

He pushes me against the door to his room and gazes at me with a heated look in his eyes,”Kiss me.”

I shake my head,”Sherlock, my venom is making you act like this,” I explain,”When vampires feed we release a venom which makes our victims feel lust. It makes it easier to feed-“

“No, it's not that!” he argues.

I open his door and lead him to his bed,”Yes it is. You wouldn’t have kissed me otherwise-“

“But I wanted to.”

I pause and look at him. He slumps down on his bed and looks up at me,”I have wanted to kiss you for some time now,” he tells me.

I bite my lip and shake my head,”…Goodnight, Sherlock.” I quickly leave the room and make my way out of the flat.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh by the way, if you haven't watched the Sherlock parody by Hillywood yet, you should it was great!


	15. I know how to dance...

Chapter 15:

Once outside, I breathe in the cold night air.

'I shouldn’t have fed from him. This is a mess now. What am I going to tell Tom?'

I run my hands over my face and let out a sigh before walking to my flat.

'Tom is busy, I shouldn’t bother him over this. Knowing that his younger brother is apparently in love with me would not go well with him.'

As I walk, I think of the things Sherlock said to me. About loving Tom.

'Of course I love him. I would not be with him if I didn’t. …But what of Sherlock is right? If I really loved him, I wouldn’t have left. But that’s the thing, I thought I left ‘because’ I love him. I wanted to keep him safe from me.

I never thought of Sherlock as anything more than a friend… well there were times, but I never thought he would ever feel the same. I thought he couldn’t, to be honest. Now he comes back into my life, saying he is in love with me? What the hell am I supposed to do? What do I think?'

I shake my head. ‘I don’t want to think about this. Tom and I are fine tother, Sherlock is alive, and John is getting married. Nothing else matters.’

~

A couple weeks have passed and things are gotten back to normal. John and I accompany Sherlock on cases like old times, we get into trouble, but we solve them in the end.

Sherlock hasn’t brought up that night since. Hasn’t mentioned the kiss, or even tried for another one. I am thankful for this, but I find it a bit concerning that we are just going to forget it happened. Maybe Sherlock has just moved on and accepted that I am with his brother. 

I am currently in the kitchen on Sherlock’s flat, stocking the fridge with blood bags Molly has gifted Sherlock and I for what she thinks are ‘experiments’. I have moved into the flat to help with he rent since John doesn’t live here anyone, plus it seemed pointless to pay for my own flat when I am over here most of the time anyway. And since things with Sherlock and I are back to normal, living with him hasn’t been bad.

Sherlock is pacing around the living room, muttering about who knows what. I have learned to ignore it and leave him be when he is like this.

I hear footsteps rushing up the stairs and the door to the flat slams open.

"What’s going on?” I hear Lestrade ask breathlessly.

I frown and walk into the room. “What’s up Greg?” I ask.

He frowns and looks at me,”I got Sherlock’s text."

Sherlock sits and stares at his laptop,”This is hard.”

“What is?” Greg questions.

I grab Greg’s phone and look at his texts.

“Really hard,” Sherlock groans,”The hardest thing I’ve had to do."

Sherlock: HELP.  
BAKER ST.  
NOW.  
HELP ME.  
PLEASE

I frown at the text and glance up to see Sherlock showing Greg a book,"Have you any funny stories about John?"

I bow my head,”Oh Sherlock…”

Greg stares at him, jaw slack in disbelief while sounds of police cars, an ambulance, and helicopter ring outside the flat.

“What?!” Lestrade roars. 

Sherlock looks up at him,"I need anecdotes.” He frowns,"Didn’t go to any trouble, did you?”

I cover my face with my hands,”Sherlock, you might want to go before Greg punches you,” I warn him.

He narrows his eyes and glances out the window. His eyebrow lift in realization,“Oh...”

I am able to calm Lestrade down and get him to leave, I then rip Sherlock a new one.

“Really?” I question with my arms crossed,”Why the hell would you send a message like that to a police inspector?!”

Sherlock rolls his eyes dramatically and sits back in his chair,”I needed help.”

I raise an eyebrow,”Am I invisible?”

He frowns and looks at me,”No.”

I let out a sigh,”Then why didn’t you just ask me?” I ask,”I am working on this wedding as well.”

He turns back to his laptop,”...I did not want to bother you.”

I frown and lean against the door,”Okay…. Well, just know I am here if you need any help,” I push off of the door and walk to my room which happens to be John’s old room.

Sherlock has been a mess about being John’s best man for the wedding. His reaction to the news of being the best man was priceless. But ever since, he has been trying to do all he can to make this wedding go perfectly. But I know he is really nervous about his speech, he also knows that once John is married things will change, and I don’t think he is ready for that.

_______________________________________________

3rd person POV:

A violin is heard playing in the flat at 221B Baker Street early one morning. Mrs.Hudson walks out of her room carrying a try of tea. She smiles as she hears the music and walks up the stairs. Opening the door to Sherlock’s flat, she finds the man himself waltzing around the room with an imaginary partner.

Sherlock glances over his shoulder and sees the woman. She is smiling widely at the scene.

“Shut up, Mrs Hudson,” he grumbles.

She smirks,"I haven’t said a word.”

He sighs and continues his dance,"You’re formulating a question. It’s physically painful watching you thinking.” He stops dancing.

"I thought it was you playing,” she tells him.

“My song, but not me playing.”

Sara strolls in from the kitchen, her eyes closed as she plays the violin beautifully. She stops playing and opens her eyes, smiling at the landlady,”Hello, Mrs.Hudson."

The older woman smiles brightly,”Oh, I didn’t know that you played. That was wonderful."

The vampire smiles and moves to the desk to make a note on the sheet music that lays on the table. “I am helping Sherlock compose a song for John and Mary’s wedding,” she explains.

Mrs.Hudson nods and sets down her tray,”It’s good to see Sherlock working with others,” she then whispers to me,”He is alone too much. I worry about him."

Sherlock rolls his eyes, having heard her, and sits down in his chair,"Why are you here?”

"I’m bringing you your morning tea,” she pours a cup,”You two are not usually awake.”

Sherlock frowns,"You bring me tea in the morning?”

The landlady pauses,"Well, where d’you think it came from?!”

He shrugs,"I don’t know. I just thought it sort of... happened.”

Sara giggles and sets the violin on it’s stand, then takes a seat on the arm of Sherlock’s chair.

Mrs.Hudson sighs then smiles,"So – tomorrow is the big day, then!” she says excitedly.

Sherlock takes his tea from her,"What big day?”

"The wedding! John and Mary getting married!”

Sherlock sips his tea,"Two people who currently live together are about to attend church, have a party, go on a short holiday and then carry on living together,” he raises an eyebrow,"What’s big about that?”

Sara nudges his shoulder then takes her cup of tea from Mrs.Hudson.

"It changes people, marriage,” the older woman urges.

Sherlock makes a face,"Mmm, no it doesn’t.”

Mrs.Hudson rolls her eyes,"Well, you wouldn’t understand ’cause you always live alone,” she glances at Sara with a smile,”…Well, not anymore.”

Sherlock lifts his teacup to his mouth but stops momentarily, frowning at the smile on her face.

"Your husband was executed for double murder. You’re hardly an advert for companionship,” he drinks his tea.

Mrs.Hudson ignores him,"Marriage changes you as a person, in ways that you can’t imagine.”

"As does lethal injection,” He smiles pointedly at her.

Sara pretends to sip her tea as she watches them converse. 'It’s always cute to see them interact. Sherlock cares a lot for the landlady, though he does not show it,’ she thinks to herself.

Mrs.Hudson turns to Sara,”Are you ever going to get married? You and that Tom fellow.”

Sara lowers her cup, looking surprised by the question. She feels Sherlock tense up next to her.

She gulps,“We…have discussed it,” she shrugs and then quickly says,”We are in no hurry though, and with Tom’s job taking him to far off places for large amounts of time, it just wouldn’t work out right now.”

The elderly woman nods understandingly,”I see. Well, you should not wait too much longer. You are getting up there in age, men like the young ones, best to tie him down while you can.”

Sara blinks, looking a bit offended. Sherlock looks down to hide his smile.

“Well, if it doesn’t work out between you two, you always have Sherlock here,” the woman continues with a smile,”I think you two would make a good match. Both smart, musically talented. He has been a lot happier since you came into his life, you know.”

Sherlock clears his throat,”Are there any biscuits?”

Mrs.Hudson shakes her head,”I’m all out.”

“I’m sure the store around the corner isn’t,” Sherlock nods to the door.

Mrs.Hudson sighs and stands,”Oh alright.” She picks up the tray and glances at Sara’s full cup of tea,”Bring that when you finish if you would be so kind.”

Sara nods, a fake smile on her face,”Of course.”

The landlady leaves and Sherlock glances at his vampire friend,”Why don’t you just tell her you don’t like tea?”

Sara stands and walks to the kitchen to pour out her tea,”Because I get enough looks of disdain from you, John, and Mary,” she tells him,”Imagine if an elderly British woman found out I hated tea."

Sherlock nods,”I see your point.” He stands and follows her into the kitchen, watching as she pours blood into the teacup.

"An unasked question is the most futile thing in the world,” she tells him with her back still turned.

“…Have you and Tom really talked about marriage?”

Sara tenses then turns around to face him. She nods,”We have,” she takes a sip from her cup,”It won't happen, at least for a long time."

“Why is that?” he questions.

She moves to sit at the cluttered table,”Vampires don’t marry, that is just a fact,” she shrugs,”I am sure some do, but there doesn’t seem to be a point. We live for centuries, most do not want to stay with the same person for so long. Also, it seems like a silly human tradition when you have lived as long as I.”

“So, Tom is the one that wants to get married,” Sherlock notes.

Sara nods and stares of into space,”...He is still that lovestruck boy I met all those years ago,” she shakes her head and looks at Sherlock,”Why do you ask?”

He shakes his head,”It is not of importance. Are you ready for tomorrow?”

She nods,”Ready enough.”

“You should have been practicing dancing with me.”

She rolls her eyes,”I-I don’t need practice.”

Sherlock narrows his eyes and steps closer,”You don’t know how to dance, do you?”

“I am 300 plus years old!” she scoffs, then more weakly,”Of course I know how to dance…”

Sherlock lets out a sigh and walks to her side,”Stand up.”

She frowns up at him,”...Why?"

“If you are going to be my date, then you have to know how to dance. I can’t have you embarrassing me,” he scoffs with his hand held out to her.

She is still frowning but takes his hand,”As if you would care about being embarrassed.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	16. The wedding

Chapter 16:

Sara’s POV:

The wedding ceremony went good. A bit boring, but I guess it was good because many of the people attending were crying their eyes out and saying how beautiful it was.

I was picked to be Mary’s maid of honor surprisingly. I think I was more shocked than Sherlock was when he found out he was John’s best man. I have known Mary for a couple years now, but it’s not like we are the best of friends. I hadn’t seen her or John for the better part of a year and half before Sherlock came back from the dead. I’m flattered though, Mary is a nice girl and I’m happy for her and John.

Down side of being the maid of honor, I had responsibilities like Sherlock. Mine dealt more with the bridezilla on her wedding day.

~

Flashback to this morning:

“WHERE IS MY VEIL? YOU FORGOT IT AT THE DRESS STORE?!”

I wince at the sound of Mary’s shouts. She is chewing out the girl that brought her dress but forgot her veil apparently. This is already the third heart attack Mary has almost had. First it was her dress not fitting right, then it was her bouquet of flowers being ruined by someone sitting on them, and now this.

I let out a sigh and stand,”Do not worry,” I tell Mary,”I will handle it.” Just as I handled all the other issues. They better be damn glad that I am a vampire, otherwise this wedding would be falling apart.

I walk out of the room and make sure I am out of sight, I then flit to the dress store and quickly find her veil then rush back to Mary’s flat before anyone notices I was gone. 

I walk into Mary’s room with a fake smile,”I found it!” I announce,”Someone left it downstairs by accident.”

Mary sighs in relief,”Oh Sara, what would I do without you?” she rushes to me and pulls me into a tight hug.

I awkwardly pat her back,”Okay, let’s get this show back on the road."

I don’t hate Mary for being such a bridezilla, she is pregnant after all. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t even know yet, and I don’t want to spoil the surprise. It only took me a minute to notice her mood swings, and then the most obvious sign was the extra little heartbeat I heard coming from her.

We continue getting ready without anymore issues.

I brush down my lavender dress and look at myself in the mirror. Mary walks up from behind me and smiles at me through the mirror,”You look beautiful,” she tells me.

I smile,”So do you. Are you ready for your big day?”

She nods, looking very excited and a little nervous,”I am. I am so ready.”

We stand in silence a moment.

“So how are you doing, with Tom not attending?”

I turn to look at her,”I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?” I ask.

She shrugs,”He’s been gone for month and a half. I know you are missing him.”

I gulp,”I do miss him, but he is needed elsewhere. I have lived a decade without him, this is nothing.”

“…How are you and Sherlock?”

I was afraid this would come up. John has told Mary about mine and Sherlock’s…awkward relationship. Though neither of them know about the kiss.

“We are fine,” I tell her,”We have continued like before, friends that solve crime together."

“Isn’t it awkward to be his date though?” she inquires.

I let out a weak laugh,”Yes, yes it is. But I think it will be fine. Sherlock is my friend, he knows that I am with his brother and I think he respects that decision and has backed off.”

Mary purses her lips,”The looks he gives you tell me otherwise.”

My eyes widen,”What looks?”

She just smiles secretively and reaches out to grab a glass of wine.

“Wait!” I stop her and hand her a glass of sparkling water,”I’ve noticed you looking bit green,” I tell her,”Wine probably isn’t the best for you.”

She pauses then nods,”I think your right. I’ve had a bug for that past couple of weeks.”

I let out a relieved sigh, then follow her downstair where the car awaits.

~

Present:

With the ceremony over, we walk out of the church to take pictures before we head to the place of the reception. 

I stand next Sherlock for some photos, and the photographer assumes we are a couple for some reason.

“Okay, get closer you two,” he tells us,”How about a kiss?”

I shake my head,”Oh, no we aren’t a -“

“Of course!” Sherlock tells the man with a wide smile. He then kisses my cheek for a picture and hugs me close to his side.

I spot John staring at us with a confused expression. Mary on the other hand is smiling. …That bitch.

When the photographer moves on, I step away from Sherlock and narrow my eyes at him,”What was that about?” I question.

He shrugs,”I wanted to take a memorable photo," he cocks his head to the side,"That’s what people do at weddings, is it not?"

I purse my lips but nod,”Let's go take a photo with John and Mary.”

After all the pictures, we make our way to the reception where John, Mary, and the bridal party greet every guest, as it is customary to do so in England.

I stand next to Sherlock and feel my cheeks start to hurt from smiling so much. The sun isn’t helping either. It is actually a nice day today and the sun it partially out, which means bad news for me. I have slathered on the sun screen, but I still feel my skin starting to sweat and burn.

Sherlock sees that I am looking unwell, so he takes of his coat and puts it over my shoulders to shield at least some of my body from the sun. I silently thank him with a smile and continue to greet guests.

A woman approaches and hugs Mary,”Congratulations.”

John smiles,"Thanks for coming.”

A young boy stands behind the woman.

"Hello, Archie!” Mary greets the boy.

The boy is staring at Sherlock and I, then he suddenly runs to us and hugs us both.

My eyes widen in surprise and I pat the boy’s back awkwardly,”…Hey, buddy.”

Sherlock makes an surprised noise,"Mm, yes, um, well done in the service, Archie,” he hesitatingly pats the boy’s head.

Archie’s mother smiles at the scene,"He’s really come out of his shell. I don’t know how you two did it.”

"Um …”

~

Flashback:

Sherlock is sitting in his chair at our flat and I am perched on the arm of it. Across from us is a young boy that goes by the name of Archie. He is one of John’s relatives and we are trying to get him to agree to be the ring barer. The others have had trouble getting him to say yes.

"Basically it’s a cute smile to the bride’s side, cute smile to the groom’s side and then the rings,” Sherlock tells him.

“No,” the boy says instantly.

"And you have to wear the outfit,” Sherlock adds.

“No.”

"You really do have to wear the outfit.”

"What for?” the boy questions.

Sherlock shrugs,"Grown-ups like that sort of thing.”

“And you’ll look really cute,” I add.

Sherlock glances at me and I shrug,”It's true. You’ll all look cute, like dapper little penguins.”

“Penglings?” he questions.

I giggle,”Can you say that again?”

He frowns,”Why?”

I cover my mouth to hide my smile,”Just say it again.”

He lets out a frustrated sigh,”Pengwing. Happy now?”

I hear Archie even laugh at that. He says it differently every time! That is hilarious.

“Why are you laughing?” the sociopath demands.

I shake my head giggling,”Nothing, never mind."

After we calm down a bit, Archie asks,"You’re detectives, right?"

“I am, she’s not,” Sherlock tell him.

I roll my eyes,”Technically, you aren’t one either Sherlock. I am one just as much as you are.”

"Have you solved any murders?” the boy asks.

"Sure. Loads.”

"Can I see?”

After a short moment of hesitation, Sherlock nods,"Yeah, all right.”

They get up and move to Sherlock’s laptop. I bite my lip and walk to Sherlock, tapping his shoulder,”I don’t know much about kids… but I think one of the things you don’t do is show them dead bodies,” I tell him softly.

He shrugs,”Television and video games show enough of it these days.”

I tilt my head,”Good point."

Sherlock pulls up some images.

"What’s all the stuff in his eye?” Archie asks.

“Maggots.”

“Cool!” the boy exclaims.

I giggle,”Wanna see a real human eye?”

His eyes widen,”Yes!”

I take him to the kitchen and show him the eyeball that resides in the fridge.

~

Present:

Archie is still hugging Sherlock and I.

"He said you had some pictures for him, as a treat,” Archie’s mother tells us.

Sherlock looks down at the boy,"Er, yes …” he pats his head,"... if he’s good.”

Archie looks at his mom with a big smile,”Beheadings.”

"Lovely little village,” I quickly say.

Sherlock unwraps the boy from us and gives him a little push toward the entrance.

The boy’s mother frowns,”Hmm?” she follows her son and asks him,"...What did you say?"

After a couple more people we finally get done with the greetings and move on inside the venue.

I was glad to finally get out of the sun and returned Sherlock his jacket. I then went to find the blood I stashed, knowing I would need it after being in the sun and around so many humans for so long.

I find it in the isolated back room where I stored it and then pour it into a wine glass. No one should be able to tell the difference, I mean who is going to assume I’m drinking blood unless they know what I am?

I return to the party and walk to Mary and Sherlock. John is down the room hugging a man in a military uniform.

"So that’s him,” Sherlock notes, watching John and the man with interest,"Major Sholto."

Mary nods,”Yup.”

I frown at the man and study the scars on his face,”Hey, I know him.”

Sherlock glances at me in surprise,”You do?”

I nod,”Yeah. I remember him when I first met John in the war."

Sherlock turns back to the men and narrows his eyes. I nudge his shoulder playfully,”Jealous?”

He doesn’t take his eyes off of them,”Why should I be?”

I smirk,”Because John looks up to this man so much.”

Sherlock grunts but says nothing.

Oh he is so jealous.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	17. Speech

Chapter 17:

We sit down for dinner in our assigned seating. John, Mary, Sherlock, and I sitting at the front of everyone.

The food is quite good, much better than I expected. We chat and eat, everyone enjoying themselves. Well, everyone except for Sherlock it seems. I can tell he is very nervous for the speech that he is going to give after dinner.

“You alright?” I ask him softly.

He frowns at me,”Why wouldn’t I be?”

I smirk,”I know when you are nervous, Sherlock.”

He looks away,”You do not. I don’t get nervous,” he mutters in denial.

I sigh and take a sip of blood from my wine glass. “I do, and you shouldn’t be so worried. You will do fine,” I assure him.

He looks down at his almost full plate and nods,”…Thank you.”

I smile and continue to eat my dinner.

~

"Pray silence for the best man,” a man calls out once dinner is over.

The guest applaud and Sherlock rises, looking very uncomfortable.

He clears his throat,"Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends ... and ... erm … others,” he stops and blinks.

After a long awkward pause I start to rethink my assurance toward him. He can be so calm and relaxed in front of people, I did not expect him to be this bad in front of an audience. Granted this isn’t something he usually talks about. I am sure if he was explaining a case he would do loads better.

"A-a-also …” Sherlock pauses again.

“Telegrams,” John tells him softly.

Sherlock eyes light up and he reaches into his coat pocket,”Telegrams, of course.”

He starts to go through them and has the rest of us laughing at what is written on them. Poor Sherlock is even more embarrassed.

He speeds through them and omits at least half and goes right into the story of when John asked him to be his best man. 

"I confess at first I didn’t realise he was asking me,” Sherlock explains,"When finally I understood, I expressed to him that I was both flattered and … surprised. I explained to him that I’d never expected this request and I was a little daunted in the face of it,” he says,"I nonetheless promised that I would do my very best to accomplish a task which was – for me – as demanding and difficult as any I had ever contemplated. Additionally, I thanked him for the trust he’d placed in me …"

I spot John frowning at his words.

"... and indicated that I was, in some ways, very close to being ... moved by it,” Sherlock continues,"It later transpired that I had said none of this out loud.”

I laugh along with John and some of the guests. That is definitely something Sherlock would do.

Sherlock pulls out a couple cards and flips through them,"Done that. ... Done that ... Done that bit ... Done that bit ... Done that bit ... Hmm …” he mutters to himself.

He looks up at the guests again, then turns to John. "I’m afraid, John, I can’t congratulate you.”

Mary looks as surprised as me, and John looks up at him with disbelief.

"All emotions, and in particular, love, stand opposed to the pure, cold reason I hold above all things. A wedding is, in my considered opinion, nothing short of a celebration of all that is false and specious and irrational and sentimental in this ailing and morally compromised world,” Sherlock says, causing many guests to look uncomfortable and murmur amongst themselves. Sherlock clears his throat,”Well, I suppose that is how I used to feel. …But my thoughts on love have changed a bit recently,” he glances me causing my eyes to go wide.

"But anyway …” he looks down at his cards,"... let’s talk about John.”

"If I burden myself with a little help-mate during my adventures, it is not out of sentiment or caprice – it is that he has many fine qualities of his own that he has overlooked in his obsession with me.”

I hear Lestrade laugh softly and spot him leaning back in his chair, looking buzzed already.

"Indeed, any reputation I have for mental acuity and sharpness comes, in truth, from the extraordinary contrast John so selflessly provides."

John sighs heavily, while Mary frowns. I cover my mouth to hide my smile.

Sherlock lets out a sigh,"The point I’m trying to make is that I am the most unpleasant, rude, ignorant and all-round obnoxious arsehole that anyone could possibly have the misfortune to meet. So if I didn’t understand I was being asked to be best man, it is because I never expected to be anybody’s best friend.”

"Certainly not the best friend of the bravest and kindest and wisest human being I have ever had the good fortune of knowing.”

Mary smiles proudly at her husband. Several of the guests make appreciative “aww” sounds, including me.

Sherlock turns to his friend,"John, I am a ridiculous man …”

John smiles and nods his agreement.

" ... Redeemed only by the warmth and constancy of your friendship. But, as I’m apparently your best friend, I cannot congratulate you on your choice of companion,” He looks down for a moment, then smiles a little."Actually, now I can."

He looks to Mary,"Mary, when I say you deserve this man, it is the highest compliment of which I am capable,” he looks back to his friend,"John, you have endured war, and injury, and tragic loss ... so know this: today you sit between the woman you have made your wife, the man you have saved, and we cannot forget the woman who saved you,” he looks at me and flashes a smile before turning back to John,"– In short, the three people who love you most in all this world. And I know I speak for Mary and Sara as well when I say we will never let you down, and we have a lifetime ahead to prove that.”

I smile softly and feel my heart warm at his sweet words.

Sherlock moves onto his next card,"Ah, yes. Now on to some funny stories about John …” he trails off as he looks up and sees many of the guest crying. A look of panic crosses his face,"What’s wrong?! What happened? Why are you all doing that?” he questions and looks to John and I for help,”John? Sara?”

I laugh at his worried expression and pat his leg.

"Did I do it wrong?” he asks again.

John stands,"No, you didn’t. Come here.” He then pulls Sherlock into a tight hug.

“Awe!” I coo and clap along with the others.

“You too!” John tells me and pulls me up into hug me. I hug him back and whisper a congrats in his ear.

We all settle back down and Sherlock continues on with his cards.

"So, for funny stories …” he reaches into his pocket and takes out his phone,"... One has to look no further than John’s blog." He holds up the phone.

People laugh and Sherlock starts going through many of the cases they have done, some that I have not accompanied them on.

"But we want something ... very particular for this special day, don’t we?” Sherlock asks. He looks down at his phone, then raises his eyes again. "The Bloody Guardsman."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

Sara’s POV:

"Schedule the organ music to begin at precisely 11.48.”

"But the rehearsal’s not for another two weeks,” Mary tells Sherlock,"Just calm down.”

“Calm?” Sherlock scoffs,"I am calm. I’m extremely calm.”

We are all currently in the flat 221b, planning John and Mary’s wedding. Well, Mary and Sherlock are, John and I are just watching in amusement at how serious Sherlock is taking everything. I’m surprised he is even helping, but I think it is because he knows that once the wedding is over he will not see John or Mary as much. He would never admit it, but he is anxious about the wedding and how everything will soon change.

Mary sighs,"Let’s get back to the reception, come on.”

They go on to talk about where they are going to sit people and who of John’s friends hate Mary.

I lean back in Sherlock’s chair and sip my cup of blood, humming in contentment. I love when we all spend time together. 

"Priceless painting nicked,” John hums as he looks down at his phone,"Looks interesting.”

Sherlock and Mary ignore his obvious attempt to gain their attention.

"Table four …” Mary mumbles, looking down at some paperwork.

“Done,” Sherlock says.

“'My husband is three people',” John chuckles as he continues to read some case on his phone.

"Table five?”

Sherlock looks at a list of names,"Major James Sholto. Who is he?”

"Oh, John’s old commanding officer,” Mary exclaims,"I don’t think he’s coming.”

"He’ll be there,” John says surely. 

Mary frowns,"Well, he needs to RSVP, then.”

"He’ll be there,” John says firmly.

Mary just hums and looks back at her papers.

“'My husband is three people’,” John reads off his phone again,"It’s interesting. Says he has three distinct patterns of moles on his skin.”

"Identical triplets – one in half a million births,” Sherlock quickly says,"Solved it without leaving the flat. Now, serviettes.” He squats down beside the coffee table, reaches under it and pulls out a tray with two serviettes folded into different shapes. He gestures to them as he looks up at Mary. "Swan, or Sydney Opera House?”

Mary looks surprised,"Where’d you learn to do that?!”

"Many unexpected skills required in the field of criminal investigation …” Sherlock says looking down.

Mary glances at me and smirks then back to the sociopath,"Fibbing, Sherlock.”

"I once broke an alibi by demonstrating the exact severity of …” he continues.

“We can both tell when you’re fibbing,” I chime in with a smile and take a sip of my drink.

Sherlock lets out a exasperated sigh,"Okay – I learned it on YouTube.”

I almost do a spit take as I start to laugh.

"Opera House, please,” Mary says then moves into the kitchen to take a call.

Sherlock frowns at me as I start to cough on my drink. I shake my head, still coughing, and stand to go into the kitchen to clean my face of any blood that I spit out.

Mary and John are whispering in the kitchen about Sherlock as I wipe my face clean of blood.

"He’s terrified,” Mary tells her soon to be husband.

John snorts,"Course he’s not.”

“She’s right,” I chime in,”You know when you’re scared of something, you start wishing it sooner just to get it all going? That’s what he’s doing.”

John frowns at me,"Why would he be scared that we’re getting married? It’s not gonna change anything – we’ll still do stuff.”

"Well, you need to prove it to him,” Mary tells John,"I told you to find him a new case.”

"I’m trying.”

“Me too,” I add.

"You need to run him, okay? Show him it’s still the good old days.”

John doesn’t respond immediately so I walk to him and pull him out of the kitchen with me. “Hey, Sherlock…” I trail off at the sight before me.

Sherlock is sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the coffee table, his head propped up on one hand. He briefly looks up at us, then turns back and gestures at what’s in front of him. There are at least seven serviettes folded in Sydney Opera House shapes on the table, and sixteen or so more on the floor.

"That just sort of … happened,” he mumbles.

Well, I am at a loss for words. So is John apparently.

"Sherlock, um …”

Sherlock stands up. Frowning briefly, perhaps wondering if he is overdoing it. Which he is.

John walks over to the dining room table and sits, gesturing for Sherlock to do the same. I stay by the doorway and watch while Mary pretends to be on a phone call.

John hands Sherlock his phone,”Pick something. Anything,” he almost pleads,"Pick one.”

"Pick what?” Sherlock asks dumbly.

I shake my head and walk to them,"A case!” I tell him,"Your Inbox is bursting.”

Sherlock looks between John and I,"You want to go out on a case? N-now?”

"Please, Sherlock,” John pleads,”I can’t take anymore wedding planning.”

Sherlock takes the phone."Don’t you worry about a thing,” he tells John quietly,"I’ll get you out of this.”

John and I glance at each other with a hidden smirk.

~

We walk into a hall where a bunch of soldiers are just coming back from being on duty outside. Striding up to the duty sergeant, John gives his wallet containing his military ID card to the man.

"We’re here to see Private Stephen Bainbridge.”

"He’s on duty right now, sir …” the man says and hands the wallet back,"... But I’ll certainly let him know when he’s free.”

"And when will that be?” Sherlock questions.

"Another hour."

We leave the sergeant and walk outside to wait for the man we are looking for to get off duty. We find a bench and watch the soldiers on duty from afar. They look so silly with their big furry hats, unable to emote or move for hours on end.

"Do you think they give them classes?” Sherlock asks, studying the soldiers.

“Classes?” John questions.

"How to resist the temptation to scratch their behinds?”

"Afferent neurons in the peripheral nervous system,” John replies.

Sherlock and I both give him a confused look.

"Bum itch,” he clarifies.

“Oh!”

We sit in silence for a few seconds. 

I pull my hood up to cover my face from the sun, already feeling a sunburn setting in.

Sherlock silently hands me my sunglasses which I thought I had forgotten back at the flat. I smile at him and put them on.

"So why don’t you see him any more?” Sherlock questions John.

Our hedgehog friend frowns,”Who?”

"Your previous commander, Sholto.”

“Previous commander?”

Sherlock rolls his eyes,"I meant ‘ex’.”

“‘Previous' suggests that I currently have a commander. Which I don’t."

I smile at the two.

"Course you don’t. He was decorated, wasn’t he?” Sherlock asks,"A war hero.”

John looks down,"Not to everyone. He led a team of crows into battle.”

“‘Crows’?” I question.

"New recruits,” he explains,"It’s standard procedure; break the new boys in – but it went wrong. They all died; he was the only survivor. The press and the families gave him hell,” he glances at Sherlock,"He gets more death threats than you.”

"Oh, I wouldn’t count on that.”

"Why have you suddenly taken an interest in another human being?” John asks his friend curiously.

I look at the sociopath as well, wondering the same.

"I’m... chatting.”

John raises his eyebrows and looks at him. Sherlock half-turns his head and looks at him out of the corner of his eye.

Sherlock looks ahead, feeling awkward,"Won’t be trying that again.”

I giggle and turn to watch the furry headed soldiers again. I am so tempted to go poke one of them.

“...See, the thing about Mary – she has completely turned my life around; changed everything. But, for the record, over the last few years there are three people who have done that … One is Sara, and the other one is …”

I look at John when I hear my name, only to find that Sherlock, who was sitting in between us, has disappeared.

John is looking for him as well," ... a complete dickhead.”

I sigh and stand,”I’ll fetch him.”

I go off in search of the sociopath, following my nose to his location. I pass by the soldiers, casually knocking the hat off of one of them as I quickly pass by. I then make my way into the large building where we first talked to the duty sergeant. I follow Sherlock’s scent up some stairs, easily staying out of sight of those who might throw me out.

I find the man lurking outside a room full of soldiers.

“There you are.”

He turns in surprise then sighs when he sees that it is only me. “Where is John?” he questions.

I shrug,”Somewhere gathering information I am sure. I came to find you.”

“I didn’t need finding. I am fine on my own-“

“Sh! Shut up,” I tell him, closing my and sniffing the air.

“What? What is it?”

My eyes snap open and I quickly start down the hallway,”I smell blood!”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	19. Thank god for idiots

Chapter 19:

Rushing into a shower room, I vaguely hear a man shout at me. "Hey! You can't be in here-"

I rush to a closed stall that has the shower still running and use my strength to break the lock on the door. 

A man sits on the ground, leaning against the wall of the stall unconscious. A pool of blood mixing with the water around him. 

I pull him out of the stall and check for his pulse. 

More guards are streaming in and shouting in distress as they see the wounded man. 

"We need a doctor!" One of them shouts. 

Sherlock kneels next to me and throws a towel over the man's waist to give him some dignity back. John then rushes into the room shouting that he is a doctor. 

He kneels before me and looks over the man,"What happened?"

"He was found unconscious and bleeding from a wound on his back," I tell him as I hold my hands over the wound,"He is still alive."

John's eyes widen and he looks at Sherlock,"Give me your scarf."

Sherlock looks at him in shock,"What?"

"Quickly, now!" John snaps. 

I stand and look up at the guards while John takes over saving the man,"Call an ambulance."

"What?"

I let out a frustrated sigh,"Call an ambulance now. Do it!"

Both of the sergeants turn and hurry from the room. John has pressed the scarf against the wound in solider's back, he takes Sherlock’s hand and puts it on top of the scarf, positioning his fingers where he wants them.

"Nurse, press here – hard," John instructs 

"Nurse?" Sherlock scoffs. 

"Yeah, I’m making do. Keep pressure on that wound."

Sherlock leans closer so that he can press harder. John moves to solider's head. "Stephen. Stephen, stay with me."

The duty sergeant walks back into the room with a solider at his side. 

"Now, what happened here?" the sergeant demands.

"You think we know?" I retort. 

"She was the one that ran in here and found him, Sir," the solider mumbles to his sergeant. He must have been one of the men here when I stormed in. 

The sergant glares at me,"Did she now? Women aren't even aloud in this section of the building. Did you and your friend sneak in to kill Bainbridge? Is that why the doctor fellow was distracting me?" he questions. 

So the wounded man, he is actually our client. He wrote us the letter about being stalked. Looks like we were too late to prevent an attack. 

Sherlock glares up at the man while still keeping pressure on Bainbridge. "Kill him with what? Where’s the weapon?" the sociopath questions. 

"What?" the sergant frowns. 

"Where’s the weapon? Go on, search us. We have no weapons."

"Bainbridge was on parade. He came off duty five minutes ago. When’s this supposed to have happened?" John questions the two men. 

"You obviously stabbed him before he got into the shower," the soldier says. 

"No."

"No?!"

"He’s soaking wet and there’s still shampoo in his hair. He got into the shower and then someone stabbed him," Sherlock explains. 

Solider glances at his superior,"....The cubicle was locked from the inside, sir. The girl had to break it open."

The man looks at me with an eyebrow raised,"You ran in when no one even knew anything was wrong, and then broke into his stall somehow. Now how the hell did you manage all that?"

I gulp,"....I am psychic."

"...Psychic?"

I nod,"Yes. I... heard him scream... in my mind."

The solider leans in to his sergeant,"I think she is telling the truth," he whispers,"My brother is into all that kind of stuff. Says he can see ghosts."

Thank god for idiots. 

~

BACK AT THE RECEPTION:

"Private Bainbridge had just come off guard duty," Sherlock tells the wedding guests,"He’d stood there for hours, plenty of people watching, nothing apparently wrong. He came off duty and within minutes was nearly dead from a wound in his stomach, but there was no weapon. Where did it go? Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to consider this: a murderer who can walk through walls, a weapon that can vanish – but in all of this there is only one element which can be said to be truly remarkable. Would anyone like to make a guess?"

The guests fidget and look at each other.

"Come on, come on, there is actually an element of Q and A to all of this," Sherlock tells them. 

Still the guests remain silent.

"Scotland Yard?"

Greg lifts his head questioningly.

"Have you got a theory?" Sherlock questions. 

Greg stares at him blankly.

"Yeah, you. You’re a detective – broadly speaking. Got a theory?"

Lestrade looks nervous for being put on the spot. "Er, um, if the, uh, if the blade was, er, propelled through the, um ..." he stops to think for a moment,"... Grating in the air vent ... maybe a-a ballista or a – or a – or a catapult. Erm, somebody tiny could-could crawl in there." He sucks in a breath. "So, yeah, we’re look... we’re looking for a-a dwarf."

I cover my mouth to contain my giggles. 

Sherlock is staring at him blankly. "Brilliant."

Greg brightens up,"Really?"

"No."

I laugh and watch as Greg sighs and lowers his head. Awe, poor Greg.

"There was one feature, and only one feature, of interest in the whole of this baffling case, and quite frankly it was the usual," Sherlock says to the guests,"John Watson – who, while I was trying to solve the murder, instead saved a life."

Mary quietly laughs in delight, and John smiles.

"Hey, I helped," I chime in,"I was the one that found him."

"Yes, but this is John's day."

The guests, including me, laugh at that. 

Sherlock continues on,"There are mysteries worth solving and stories worth telling," He looks down at John," The best and bravest man I know – and on top of that he actually knows how to do stuff." 

John lowers his head and chuckles with embarrassment. I reach across pat his shoulder, giggling. 

"...Except wedding planning and serviettes – he’s rubbish at those."

"True!" John exclaims with a wide smile. 

The guests laugh.

"The case itself remains the most ingenious and brilliantly-planned murder – or attempted murder – I’ve ever had the pleasure to encounter; the most perfect locked-room mystery of which I am aware," Sherlock says,"However, I’m not just here to praise John – I’m also here to embarrass him, so let’s move on to some-"

"No-no, wait," Lestrade interrupts,"So how was it done?"

Sherlock looks blank for a second,"...How was what done?"

"The stabbing."

Sherlock looks down awkwardly for a few moments, then raises his head. "I’m afraid I don’t know. I didn’t solve that one. ...It can happen sometimes. It’s very... very disappointing."

The guests frown. 

"Well, how did you know where he was then, Sara?" Greg decides to ask. 

My eyes widen as I am put on the spot. Sherlock left out some details in his story of course, like me being a vampire. 

"...Uh," I laugh weakly,"Don't you know by now not to question the things Sherlock and I are able to accomplish?" I try to make light of the subject. 

The guests laugh and I'm able to let out a sigh of relief as we move on. 

“Embarrassment leads me to my next story,” Sherlock announces,”The stag night.”

I groan and put my face in my hands. That day was both hilarious and frustrating.

~

Flashback to the stag night:

John and Sherlock were going out for a stag night which is a British version of a bachelor party apparently. I of course was not aloud to go, so I stayed in the flat and watched movies. 

Only two hours after they left and not even a full movie later, I heard thumping sounds from below the flat and voices. 

I walked out of the room to see John and Sherlock both laying on the stairs, obviously plastered. 

I cross my arms and lean against the doorway watching them. 

"...Have an international reputation," Sherlock slurs. He glances at John,"Do you have an international reputation?"

"No," John slurs with his eyes closed,"I don’t have an international reputation."

"No," Sherlock pauses a moment and tilts his head to John again,"And I can’t even remember what for." He thinks for a second,"Crime ... something or other."

I face palm myself. 'Oh dear lord.'

The door to 221A opens and Mrs Hudson comes out with a bag of garbage. She stops in surprise at the sight of them. "Ooh! What are you doing back? I thought you were going to be out late."

"Ah, Hudders," Sherlock slurs, opening his eyes,"What time is it?"

She looks at her watch,"You’ve only been out two hours." She sees me at the top of the stairs,"Sara, please do something!" She pleads. 

I giggle and walk down the steps. The boys sit up, trying to stand but are too tightly wedged together. Sherlock falls off the step before I can grab him and lands on his butt in front of the stairs. 

I laugh and walk past a teetering John to help him up. 

He blinks up at me,"...Sara? Wha- are you dooing here?"

I grab his arm and help him stand,"Well I was enjoying a nice movie, but now I am helping two drunks."

He frowns and hiccups,"There are no drunks here."

I laugh and guide him and John upstairs,"You two are such lightweights."

Once safely in the flat, I sit them down in their chairs and then jump back onto the couch to finish my movie. 

John starts to doze off and Sherlock eventually moves to sit by me to watch the movie. 

"Why is he so angry?" Sherlock questions as he frowns at the movie. 

"He just found out he was adopted and his father is always an ass to him. I would be angry too," I tell him. 

Sherlock tilts his head,"The tall, blonde man is flying. That goes against all physics!"

"He is a god!" I explain, becoming annoyed by his commentary,"He is aloud to fly."

"This movie is ridiculous. Change it," he demands. 

I groan,"Fine!" I start flipping through movie channels as I grumble annoyed. I stop on one. "How about sci-Fi?"

Sherlock grunts snd crosses his arms as he watches. 

He actually stays quiet for some time. I think he is actually enjoying it. 

'I am better.'  
'At what?'  
'Everything.'

I smile and nudge Sherlock,"Hey, that's like you."

He nods,”He does think like me.”

“Even looks a bit like you.”

He scoffs,”No."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't resist having a drunk Sherlock watch movies :) Any guesses on what those movies were?


	20. Case solved

Chapter 20:

After the movie, John wakes and he joins Sherlock in a game where they write a name on a piece of paper and stick it to each other's foreheads, guessing who they are or something. 

I would have stayed to watch, but Mycroft is wanting to see me. 

~

I leave the flat and make my way to Mycroft's hidden office. 

Night has fallen over London, though the city stays brightly lit as the night owls bustle around. I breathe in the spring air and smile. Though I love fall and winter most, spring is also lovely in England. I decide to speed up, so as not to aggravate Mycroft for taking so long. 

"Knock, knock!" I say loudly as I enter his office. 

He sits at his desk as per usual, and looks up from some papers. "Ah, Sara. I am glad you made haste," he tells me,"I don't think he would have been able to stay put for much longer."

I frown,"Who-"

I am then engulfed into a tight hug from behind. I instantly know who it is by his scent. 

"Tom!"

He turns me around and places a tender kiss on my lips. "Hello, sweetheart."

~

Tom and I walk the streets of London, hand in hand. He explains that he is still working on his mission but wanted to see me since it has been months without contact between us. 

“And how has it been here?” he asks me.

Memories of Sherlock kissing me flash through my mind. I gulp,”…Things have been good. I moved in with Sherlock so he wouldn’t be lonely, and we have been regularly going out on cases with John.”

He smiles,”That is good to hear. I am glad that you are keeping an eye on my brother when I cannot.”

I wave his words away,”I’m really not needed. He is a grown man and has taken care of himself before,” I say.

Tom shakes his head,”You help my brother more than you know. Both you and John.”

My phone starts to ring.

I release Tom’s hand to answer it. “Hello?”

“Hey, Sara.”

I frown,”Greg?”

“Yeah. Sorry to call so late, but I’m going to need you to come down to the station.”

I close my eyes and let out a groan when he tells me why. Tom frowns,”What's wrong?”

I end the call and shake my head. ”I shouldn’t have left them alone,” I grumble as I pull Tom after me.

~

"Wakey-wakey!” Greg says loudly as he enters the room that holds Sherlock and John.

Tom and I follow him in and watch as the two drunks both grimace at the sound. John slowly lifts himself off of the ground and holds his head,"Oh my God,” he groans in pain.

Sherlock is flat out on his back, fast asleep on the bench of holding cell Greg put them in. The two stupidly went on a case while drunk and got themselves arrested.

"Get up,” I tell them,”You are both lucky Greg likes you, or else this would be all over the news and you would be staying here overnight.”

John blinks, squinting from the brightly lit room. “Sara?”

"What a couple of lightweights!” Tom jeers.

Greg joins in,"You couldn’t even make it to closing time!”

John stumbles toward the door and mumbles,"Can you whisper?”

"NOT REALLY!” Greg shouts in his ear as he walks past him and out the door.

Sherlock flails upwards on the bench, his eyes wide and his mouth open in shock. He looks round the cell in bewilderment. John gives Greg a look of hurt betrayal, then leaves the cell.

I let out a sigh and walk to Sherlock. "Come on,” I tell him and cross my arms.

He sits up on the bench and tries to stand, but totters and falls back onto the bench. He then stands up and puts his fingers to his temples, wobbling on one foot. After a moment he lowers his hands and delicately paddles out of the cell.

I raise an eyebrow and glance back at Tom,”...Did he really just use his mind palace to remember how to walk?"

Tom just chuckles and follows after his brother.

Standing in front of a desk, John and Sherlock collect their keys and wallets.

“So, how was your night?” I ask them teasingly as I lean against Tom.

“It was... an evening,” John mutters, glancing at Sherlock.

"It was awful,” the sociopath quickly declares.

John sighs,"Yeah. I was gonna pretend, but it was, truly.”

Tom leans over and sniffs John then steps back and chuckles,”They don’t even smell that drunk. What did you have, three beers?"

Sherlock sends him a death glare and leaves the police station.

~

Back in the present at the reception:

Sherlock holds up his phone. "This blog is the story of two men and their frankly ridiculous adventures …” He smiles, and the guests chuckle. "... Of murder, mystery and mayhem. But from now on, there’s a new story – a bigger adventure.” He looks down at the newlyweds,"Ladies and gentlemen, pray charge your glasses and be upstanding.” 

We all stand and raise our glasses. A photographer walks forward with his camera to take our picture.

"Today begin the adventures of Mary Elizabeth Watson and John Hamish Watson.”

John sighs a little, while Mary giggles. I recently found out that John hates his middle name for some odd reason. I don’t think Hamish is that bad.

"The two reasons why every single one of us is …” Sherlock stops abruptly mid sentence and freezes in place, staring blindly towards the guests. 

The photographer snaps several photos of us but the popping flashbulb doesn’t make him react. Sherlock’s fingers loosen slightly and his champagne glass slips out of them and tumbles towards the floor.

I quickly reach out a grab the glass before it can fall, ignoring the gasps coming from the guests as I turn to Sherlock. He seems to be in his mind palace, that is the only time he acts like this. But why? Why now?

"...here today,” Sherlock suddenly finishes. He blinks and looks around at all the confused faces. "Ooh, sorry. I …” He still looks a bit out of it.

I tug on his jacket to make him look at me. I raise an eyebrow in question, but he just smiles weakly at me and then turns back to the guests. "Now, where were we?” shaking his head a little,"Ah, yes. Raising glasses and standing up. Very good. Thank you.” He takes his glass from me and puts it down. The guests slowly sit, unsure of what to do. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, people tell you not to milk a good speech – get off early, leave ’em laughing. Wise advice, I’ll certainly try to bear in mind. But for now,” Sherlock suddenly vaults over the table, surprising everyone. " ... part two.”

He walks into the central aisle between the tables. "Part two is more action-based. I’m gonna ... walk around, shake things up a bit.”

What is he doing?!

I glance at John and see him equally mortified by what is happening. 

"Who’d go to a wedding?” Sherlock asks,"That’s the question. Who would bother to go to any lengths to get themselves to a wedding?” he turns around and claps his hands,"Well, everyone. Weddings are great! Love a wedding.”

Mary whispers to John,"What’s he doing?”

John watches his friend and mutters,"Something’s wrong.”

Sherlocks starts walking toward John, Mary, and I. "And John’s great, too! Haven’t said that enough. Barely scratched the surface. I could go on all night about the depth and complexity of his ... jumpers …”

John closes his eyes in disbelief, while Sherlock scans the room as he talks. He is looking for something, or someone.

"... And he can cook. Does ... a ... thing ... thing with peas …"

John, Mary, and I exchange puzzled glances. Sherlock continues to pace and look closely at the guests.

"... once. Might not be peas. Might not be him. But he’s got a great singing voice ... or somebody does.” Sherlock sighs in frustration, his teeth clenched. He shakes his head, as if having an internal fight with himself,"Ahh, too many, too many, too many, too many!” he then recovers,"Sorry. Too many jokes about John! Now, er …”

Sherlock clears his throat and looks around,"Where was I? Ah, yes …Speech!" He grins and claps his hands together again. "Let’s talk about …” he banks out again,”Murder.”

Guests start to gasp when he says that. I just put my head in my hands and groan.

"Sorry, did I say ‘murder’?” Sherlock backpedals,"I meant to say ‘marriage’ – but, you know, they’re quite similar procedures when you think about it. The participants tend to know each other, and it’s over when one of them’s dead.”

John groans softly and lowers his head like I did.

"In fairness, murder is a lot quicker, though,” Sherlock continues as he paces the isle. "Geoff, the gents are free,” he says across to Lestrade and jerks his head towards the door. "The loos, now, please.” I spot Sherlock typing rapidly on his phone behind his back.

Lestrade looks confused,”...It’s Greg,” he reminds the sociopath.

"The loos, please,” Sherlock insists.

Greg’s phone beeps and reaches for it as he asks,”Why?”

"Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s your turn.” Sherlock jerks his head towards the door again, grimacing. 

Greg looks at his phone and and his eyes widen, he then stands,"Yeah, actually, now you mention it …” he quickly leaves the room.

“Sherlock,” John speaks up,”Any chance of an end date for this speech? Gotta cut the cake.”

Sherlock smiles widely,"Oh! Ladies and gentlemen, can’t stand it when I finally get the chance to speak for once, Vatican Cameos.”

My eyes widen and John sits up straighter.

"What did he say? What’s that mean?” Mary questions.

"Battle stations,” John says softly,"Someone’s gonna die.”

"What?!”

John silently shushes her and holds her hand comfortingly.

Sherlock just said our code word, it pretty much means danger of some sort, or like John said, someone’s going to die.

I scan the room for danger, stretching out my senses to the other rooms in the building. But I only hear Greg talking on the phone a couple of rooms away, contacting the police.

Sherlock clasps his hands together, his expression turning very serious. "Let’s play a game,” he slowly moves down the isle, eyes of a predator. "Let’s play Murder.” Sherlock prowls forward, his eyes flickering around the room at the guests as he steeples his hands in front of his chin,"Imagine someone’s going to get murdered at a wedding. Who exactly would you pick?”

"I think you’re a popular choice at the moment, dear,” Mrs.Hudson huffs.

"If someone could move Mrs Hudson’s glass just slightly out of reach, that would be lovely. More importantly, who could you only kill at a wedding?” Sherlock questions as he scans the room,"Most people you can kill any old place. As a mental exercise, I’ve often planned the murder of friends and colleagues. Rubbing his hands together, he walks back along the room, then gestures towards John. "Now John I’d poison.”

"Sloppy eater – dead easy. I’ve given him chemicals and compounds – that way, he’s never even noticed. He missed a whole Wednesday once, didn’t have a clue,” Sherlock explains,"Lestrade’s so easy to kill, it’s a miracle no-one’s succumbed to the temptation.” He turns and heads towards the back of the room again. "I’ve got a pair of keys to my brother’s house – I could easily break in there and asphyxiate him.” He makes strangling gestures with his hands, then seems to realise that he may have gone too far and drops his hands. " ...if the whim arose.”

"So, once again, who could you only kill here? Clearly it’s a rare opportunity, so it’s someone who doesn’t get out much," Sherlock scans the room,"Someone for whom a planned social encounter known about months in advance is an exception. Has to be a unique opportunity."

My eyes widen as I realize who the target of the murderer is. 

"Someone private, perhaps, obsessed with personal security," Sherlock's eyes fall on Major Sholto. "Possibly someone under threat."

I lean over to John and quickly whisper,"I know who is the murderer's target."

John's eye widen in horror as I tell him it is his ex commanding officer. 

I then spot Sholto leaving the room. Sherlock turns back and heads quickly towards our table, swiping someone’s champagne glass from a table as he goes. "Ladies and gentlemen, there will now be a short interlude," He skids to a halt in front of our table and turns and holds up his glass. "The bride and groom!"

The guests slowly stand and raise their glasses. "The bride and groom."

"Major Sholto’s going to be murdered. I don’t know how or by whom, but it’s going to happen." Sherlock turns and quickly makes his way out of the room. I follow after him with John at my heels. 

Sherlock is in the hall, trying to remember the room number of the Major. I quickly rush past him and shout behind me,"I can follow his scent, remember?"

Sherlock curses at his stupidity and runs after me. 

Reaching the second floor, I knock on the door of Room 207 and try to open it. "Major Sholto? Major Sholto!" I shout. 

Sherlock joins me with pounding on the locked door. "Major Sholto!"

"If someone’s about to make an attempt on my life, it won’t be the first time," Major shouts from within the room,"I’m ready."

John walks towards the door. "Major, let us in."

I clench my hands into fists,"I'm going to kick the door down."

"I really wouldn’t," Major says,"I have a gun in my hand and a lifetime of unfortunate reflexes."

Sherlock places a hand on my shoulder to calm me and walks to the door,"You’re not safe in there. Whoever’s after you, we know that a locked room doesn’t stop him."

"The invisible man with the invisible knife,” Sholto scoffs.

"I don’t know how he does it, so I can’t stop him, and that means he’ll do it again,” Sherlock tells him.

My eyes widen. 'The invisible man! Of course.’

I think back, trying to see what is similar about both Sholto and Bainbridge. They were both soldiers…wore similar outfits.

“Their uniforms!” I exclaim.

John and Sherlock turn to me confused. ”What are you talking about?"

“They both wore similar uniforms,” I explain,”Sholto and Bainbridge. Bainbridge just got off duty right before he was killed, from a wound in his back," I turn to the door,"Major Sholto, no-one’s coming to kill you. I’m afraid you’ve already been killed several hours ago,” I tell him.

"What did you say?”

"Don’t take off your belt,” I stress.

"My belt?”

Sherlock’s eyes light up,”Of course! His belt, yes. Bainbridge was stabbed hours before we even saw him, but it was through his belt.”

I nod,"Tight belt, worn high on the waist. Very easy to push a small blade through the fabric and you wouldn’t even feel it.”

John nods, finally catching on,"The-the belt would bind the flesh together when it was tied tight.”

“Exactly.”

“And when you took it off …”

"Delayed action stabbing,” Sherlock concludes,"All the time in the world to create an alibi.”

"Major Sholto?” I call out.

"So – I was to be killed by my uniform,” he mutters,"How appropriate.” I hear him drop the pistol and fiddle with his clothing. "When so many want you dead, it hardly seems good manners to argue.”

“Major! Do not take off that belt!” I shout.

"James, stop it, right now!” John shouts,"I will kick this door down.”

I ready myself to flit inside. I should be able to get to him before he takes off the belt.

"Mr. Holmes, you and I are similar, I think,” Sholto says.

Sherlock frowns but nods,"Yes, I think we are.”

"There’s a proper time to die, isn’t there?”

"Of course there is.”

"And one should embrace it when it comes – like a soldier.”

"Of course one should,” Sherlock says firmly,”But not at John’s wedding. We wouldn’t do that, would we – you and me? We would never do that to John Watson.”

"I’m gonna break it down,” John says as he backs up from the door to get a running start.

My ears perk up and I stop him,"No, wait, wait, you won’t have to.”

“Hmm?”

The door opens. Sholto glances briefly at Sherlock and me, then lowers his eyes before looking at John. “...I believe I am in need of medical attention.”

John sighs in relief and nods,"I believe I am your doctor.”

He follows Sholto back into the room. 

Sherlock and I both let out the breaths we were holding. I lean against him and close my eyes.

“You did good today,” Sherlock murmurs to me,”You were able to solve the case before even I could.”

I smirk,”Getting slow, Mr.Holmes?”

He wraps his arm around me,”Never. Especially with you keeping me on my toes.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	21. What am I going to do?

Chapter 21:

Sara’s POV:

"One, two, three; ... Ahh, pretty good.”

Sherlock and I are currently practicing our dancing in the hall.

We stop and Sherlock releases me. ”Well, it's a good thing your dress covers your feet,” he mutters.

I roll my eyes and smack his arm,”Your feet are just too big,” I argue,”It is hard not to step on them.”

“Excuses. You have had centuries to learn this dance,” he counters,”It is a simple waltz.”

I cross my arms,”Dancing never has been my strong suit, nor has it ever interested me.”

“If you put a little effort you would be great,” he tells me,”You are a fast learner. Do I have to remind you of our first dance?”

I close my eyes,”Please don’t.” Our first dance was at the flat, practicing for this very day. I don’t even remember how many times I stepped on his feet that day. I also may have tripped over a table… and knocked Sherlock unconscious. “I’m honestly surprised you are even willing to dance with me again.”

“Had I a choice, I would not be,” he says,”But Mary told me it was mandatory that we dance.”

I narrow my eyes and mutter,”That bitch.”

John walks in and smiles at our annoyed expressions. “Dancing again?”

I glare at him,”Don’t even."

The entrance door opens and Greg walks in.

“Sherlock?” He points back out the door,"Got him for you.”

Sherlock smiles and claps as another man walks in,"Ah, the photographer. Excellent!” He walks to the man and takes his camera.

“..What’s this about?” the man asks nervously,"I was halfway home!”

"You should have driven faster,” I tell him with a smirk.

"Ah, yes. Yes, very good. There, you see?” Sherlock smiles as he looks through the pictures,”Perfect.”

"What is?” Greg asks,"You gonna tell us?”

Sherlock hands Greg the camera,"Try looking yourself.”

John walks closer to look at the camera as well,”Is the murderer in these photographs?”

"It’s not what’s in the photographs; it’s what’s not in them – not in any of them.”

"Sherlock? The showing-off thing: we’ve discussed it before,” John says.

I decide to step in,"There is always a man at a wedding who is not in any photograph but can go anywhere, and even carry an equipment bag around with him if he likes, and you never even see his face,” I quickly explain,”In short, the murderer in the photographer.”

“What?!” the photographer squeaks.

Sherlock holds up his phone with a picture of the man,"Jonathan Small, today’s substitute wedding photographer – known to us as the Mayfly Man. His brother was one of the raw recruits killed in that incursion,” he explains," Jonny sought revenge on Sholto, worked his way through Sholto’s staff, found what he needed …an invitation to a wedding – the one time Sholto would have to be out in public. So, he made his plan.”

“And rehearsed the murder,” I say,”Brilliant, ruthless, almost certainly a monomaniac.”

“Though, in all fairness,” Sherlock adds,”His photographs are actually quite good.” He tosses his phone to Greg. "Everything you need’s on that. You probably ought to ... arrest him or something.”

Lestrade cuffs the man and leads him out of the building.

~

The party has finally started. Sherlock and I stand on a stage, playing the song we wrote for John and Mary. Everyone is quiet, watching the newly weds slow dance to our song. Sherlock and I play in perfect harmony with our violins, sending each other smiles every so often.

Our song ends and the guests break into applause and some of them cheer. Everyone is looking at the happy couple. John waves his thanks to us, then kisses Mary again as Sherlock steps to the nearby microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, just, er, one last thing before the evening begins properly. Apologies for earlier. A crisis arose and was dealt with,” He draws in a breath,"More importantly, however, today we saw two people make vows. I’ve never made a vow in my life, and after tonight I never will again. So, here in front of you all, my first and last vow. Mary and John: whatever it takes, whatever happens, from now on I swear I will always be there, always, for all three of you.”

My eyes widen.

He hesitates momentarily, then stutters,"Er, I’m sorry, I mean, I mean two of you. All two of you. Both of you, in fact. I’ve just miscounted.” He takes a sharp breath. John and Mary exchange a slightly worried look. "Anyway, it’s time for dancing.”

The DJ starts to play music. I step forward and smile awkwardly,"Okay, everybody, just dance. Don’t be shy!” We walk off the stage and I smack Sherlock in the arm. “What the hell?!” I growl.

"Sorry, that was one more deduction than I was really expecting.”

"“Deduction”?” Mary questions as she and John walk over to us.

Everyone has now started to dance.

"Increased appetite, you were sick this morning. You assumed it was just wedding nerves,” Sherlock tells her in his quick manner,"You got angry with me when I mentioned it to you. All the signs are there.”

“The signs”?”

I groan and cover my face with my hands,"The signs of three.”

Mary’s eyes widen,"What?!”

“I was planning on you finding out yourselves,” I tell them, then send a glare at Sherlock,”But he just had to blab.”

Sherlock narrows his eyes at me,”You know I don’t have control over my deductions sometimes. And if you would have told me earlier I wouldn’t have said anything.”

I cross my arms,”Why would I tell you?! I-“

"Shut up!” John tells us,"Just ... shut up.”

Sherlock sighs and looks down,”Sorry.”

John turns to his wife,"How did they notice before me? I’m a bloody doctor.”

“Stop,” Sherlock tells him,”Stop panicking.”

I’m not panicking!” he argues.

Mary is fanning herself, looking to be in shock,"I’m pregnant. I’m panicking!”

I grip her arm gently,"Don’t panic. None of you panic.”

Sherlock nods,"Absolutely no reason to panic.”

"Oh, and you’d know, of course?” John questions.

"Yes, I would. You’re already the best parents in the world. Look at all the practice you’ve had!”

"What practice?”

"Well, you’re hardly gonna need me around now that you’ve got a real baby on the way,” Sherlock jokes.

John stares, then Sherlock smiles happily at him. John laughs and reaches out to cup the back of his neck. Laughing even more, he turns to his wife and puts his other hand on her shoulder as she begins to smile with delight. Mary smiles and pulls me into a tight hug.

I pat her back,"You all right?”

She nods,”Yeah.”

John turns back to Sherlock, smiling joyfully. They look at each other for a long moment, then John breaks the eye contact and they both look a bit awkward. I laugh and release Mary,”How about we dance now?” I suggest.

Sherlock nods,”Good idea. We can’t just stand here. People will wonder what we’re talking about.”

John nods,”Right.” He takes Mary’s hand and leads her to the dance floor.

I turn to Sherlock and smile, but then I’m suddenly pulled away onto the dance floor. “Whoa!” I yelp.

The random man pulled me onto the dance floor smiles apologeticlly. “Sorry, but I just couldn’t wait to have a dance with the famous Sara Knightly.” He is quite handsome, but that was very rude to Sherlock.

He spins me and tries to get me to dance, which I am terrible at. “Uh, w-wait-“ I stutter, trying to keep up with his movements.

As I am trying to get away from this man, I spot Sherlock leaving the stage and walking slowly through the guests to the door where he makes his way outside to the gardens.

I quickly and a bit rudely leave the man who is trying to flirt and dance with me, and I follow Sherlock outside.

I see him out in the middle of the garden, looking at the landscape and glowing gazebo. He shrugs on his iconic coat with the collar raised and starts to walk away.

“Sherlock!” I call out as I jog to him.

He turns in surprise,”Sara?”

I stop a few feet from him and frown,”Where are you going?”

He glances at the party then looks down,”This… isn’t really my scene.”

“It’s not mine either, but shouldn’t you at least stay for John and Mary?"

He raises his gaze and scoffs,”I’ve been here all day. They will soon be too drunk to notice I am even gone. Don’t you have someone to get back to?”

I roll my eyes,”He forcibly pulled me onto the dance floor, of course I don’t want to go back to him.” I take a step closer to him,”We never did our dance.”

He raises an eyebrow,”Here?”

I shrug and glance back at the party,”Why not? Like you said, that isn’t really our scene. Plus we can still hear the music.”

His lips curve in a smirk and he steps closer to me, taking my hands in his. We soon start to slow dance to the faint music, Sherlock leading and guiding my uncertain movements.

“You did great you know,” I tell him, occasionally glancing at my feet so I don’t step on his toes. ”Your speech and everything, it was good. Like I told you it would be.”

He smiles a bit,”You think you are always right, don’t you?” he questions, twirling me.

I tilt my head and nod,”Yeah… because I always am,” I joke. I smile up at him,”I actually felt a bit invisible today, thanks for taking the spotlight, Mr.best man."

He smirks,”Oh, I assure you it was completely unintentional.”

I nod,”Sure it was. Solving that case as well?”

“You helped, a lot actually.”

I smile proudly,”That I did. We make a great team.”

We dance in silence for a moment, only the faint music from the reception hall filling the air. 

“…There is something I forgot to thank John for,” Sherlock says softly.

I raise my eyebrows in question,”And what is that?"

“For meeting you."

My heart rate starts to rise.

We slowly stop dancing, but remain very close. 

“If you hadn’t known him, you and I would most likely have never met,” he tells me,”I unknowingly gained two friends when I met him. One, which is very important to me,” he reaches up to caress my cheek,”I know we have not spoken about the night you fed on me, but I want you to know that it was not your venom that made me act like that.”

…Sherlock, why must you always do this?

He starts to lean in, and before I know it, his lips are on mine.

For reasons I cannot explain, I don’t pull away from him. I don’t kiss back either, but I do nothing to stop what is happening. And I would be lying if I said his lips didn’t feel nice on mine.

I hear faint footsteps behind me. 

“…Sara?”

That snaps me out of my daze and I push Sherlock back. I turn around and my heart drops.

Tom stands there, wearing a nice suit and a rose in his hand, but a heartbroken expression on his face.

My breath catches in my throat,”...Tom."

He slides his gaze from me, and sees that it was Sherlock who was kissing me. He drops the flower, anger growing on his face as his eyes turn blood red. 

My eyes widen,”Sherlock, run-“ But as I try to send a warning, Tom already has Sherlock pinned to the ground.

“HOW COULD YOU?!” Tom roars as he punches Sherlock repeatedly in the face. “MY OWN BROTHER!”

“TOM, STOP!” I shout and rush over to pull him off of his brother before he kills him.

I yank Tom away and throw him several feet. I then stand in front of Sherlock protectively, my own eyes red,”You will not touch him anymore!” I hiss.

Tom pulls himself off of the ground and charges again, but this time I grab his shoulders and push him back. 

“I should kill you!” Tom snarls at Sherlock as he tries to get past me.

Sherlock is teetering on unconsciousness, his face bloodied and battered by just two punches from Tom. A third would have most likely killed him.

“Tom!” I shout,”Stop it!”

He finally calms himself and looks at me. I place my hands on his shoulders but he pushes me away and stumbles back. ”How long has this been going on?” he questions.

I shake my head,”Nothing has been going on! This is the first time he-“ I cut myself off.

Tom clenches his hands into fists and nods,”Not the first time then?"

I let out a groan and run my hand over my face,”Once before, but it was because I fed from him,” I try to explain,”I never kissed him back-“

“SO THAT MAKES IT OK?!” Tom shouts. He grits his teeth and shakes his head, looking at me with glassy eyes,”I rushed back, thinking I would be giving you a wonderful surprise. …But I stumble upon this.”

I take a step toward him,”Tom…”

He shakes his head and walks back further, he then turns and flits off into the darkness.

I feel tears starting to build in my eyes, but I push them back and rush to Sherlock’s side. I can’t cry right now, I need to get Sherlock to a hospital.

I lift the now unconscious man into my arms and flit to the nearest hospital. It takes me only ten seconds to get there, and I drop to my knees out in front of the entrance.

“I NEED HELP!” I shout, knowing that I can’t go running in there with a fully grown man, who is almost twice my size, in my arms.

Doctors and nurses see me and rush out to help. They put Sherlock onto a stretcher and take him away for surgery. I then quickly disappear before they can ask me any questions.

I return to our flat on Baker Street and take a seat on the couch. Rubbing my face, I then decide to call Mycroft and tell him what happened.

‘So there is a sad and angry vampire on the loose?’ Mycroft questions,’Wonderful job, Sara.’

"Don’t patronize me!” I growl,”How is this my fault?”

‘Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you kissed him-‘

“I did not! He kissed me!” I hiss.

He chuckles,’Same difference, darling. You made him fall in love with you, unintentional or not.’

I rub my closed eyes,”Just… find him and make sure he doesn’t do something stupid.”

‘Of course. I can’t have my dead older brother running amok in my country, it would make me look bad.’

“You are so caring,” I scoff before hanging up.

I lean back in the couch and cover my face. 

What am I going to do?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	22. On my own

Chapter 22:

Sherlock's POV:

I wake to the sounds of beeping and the smell of anesthetic. I must be in a hospital. 

I crack my eyes open and look around. Yes, a hospital. 

I try to move but my body resists and flares up in pain. I grit my teeth and lay back. 

What happened?

The door opens and a young doctor walks in. He smiles at me,"It is good to see you are awake." He checks my vitals and asks how I am doing. 

"Bloody wonderful! What do you think?" I scoff. 

He just laughs and shakes his head,"You were in pretty critical condition. We got to you just in time."

"What happened?" I question. 

He purses his lips,"I was hoping you could tell me that. We found you outside the front of the hospital with a girl holding onto you. She was screaming for help and once we took you inside, she disappeared," he looks down at his clipboard,"You must have took a bus to the face, or gotten punched in the face by the incredible hulk though. You had many bone fractions in your face, a busted lip, lacerations," he glances up,"Your left eye socket was smashed, we were lucky enough to put you back together. But the really weird thing is, you had no other damage to your body. The only feasible explanation I can come up with is that you were punched fifty or more times in the face."

"You said a girl was with me. What did she look like?" I question. 

"I wasn't there, but the nurses said she had dark brown hair and blue eyes. A short little thing, and was wearing a purple dress."

I feel my memories coming back to me. The wedding, kissing Sara, my brother coming and attacking me. 

I look back at the doctor and ask,"How long have I been out?"

"Almost a month," he tells me. 

I let out a frustrated groan and try to sit up again. He rushes toward me and pushes me back down,"What are you doing?!"

"I'm leaving," I exclaim,"I am awake and ready to go."

He shakes his head,"You can't. You still have a lot of healing to do before you can be discharged."

I start to grow angry,"I'm fine! Let me-"

"Why are you always so difficult, brother?"

I grip my bed sheets tightly,"...Mycroft, what are you doing here?" I growl. 

The doctor leaves and my brother walks to my bedside to sit in a chair next to me. 

"I had a feeling you would wake soon. I wanted to see how you were doing," he smiles sardonically. 

I use a remote to raise my bed so I am in a more sitting position, and glare at him,"I'm not in the mood for games. Why are you really here?"

His smiles drops and he let's out a sigh,"Fine," he reaches into his coat,"I came to drop off this." He hands me a letter. 

I frown and take it. There is no writing on the outside other than a nicely written, 'to Sherlock'. No scent, standard envelope, this could be from anyone. 

I open it and unfold the letter inside. 

'Dear Sherlock,  
I know this is old fashioned, but I have always favored letters to texts, tweets, and whatever the hell you call them. I am sorry I couldn't be there when you wake... Actually, you know what, I'm not sorry! You went over your boundary once again Sherlock and now Tom has left me. I can't say I blame him, because of the way I treated the situation. I should have pushed you away and made it clear that I was with him and not you. That was my mistake and now I am paying for it. I'm angry at you, but I don't want you dead. I made sure you were in good hands before leaving. Now that you are awake, you can run off and be Sherlock Holmes again. Solving cases with Watson, escaping danger. 

Goodbye, Sherlock. 

,Sara'

 

I look up from the letter and turn to my brother,"Where is she?" I question. 

He shrugs and fixes his coat as he stands,"She left, right after handing me that note with instructions to give it to you once you woke. Though I am quite certain that she isn't in England anymore."

"Find her!" I order him,"Bring her back-"

"I don't have to do what you say, little brother," Mycroft growls,"You made this mess, you fix it." He then turns and leaves the room without another word. 

I lay back staring at the letter in my hands. 

I had wanted her and Tom to break up, but not like this. I wanted him to leave, but now both of them are gone. 

...I messed up. 

 

_______________________________________________

 

Sara's POV:

It has been three months since I left England. I have settled back in Italy where I stay at my family villa. 

I had to get away. I felt bad for leaving so suddenly, hell I didn't even tell John or Mary that Sherlock was in the hospital. But I didn't want to disrupt their happiness with all my ruin and sadness. Though I am sure Mycroft contacted them eventually when John couldn't find Sherlock or I. 

I couldn't go and see Sherlock when he awoke. I hate what he did, but he is still my friend and I love him. It is all very conflicting, so I decided to just ignore them both and leave. I found Tom and we talked everything over. He was willing to give us another shot, but I turned him down. A part of me wanted to get back with him, a huge part, but my other side saw that things just never seemed to go right for us. So I thought it was best to go our separate ways. I knew I would end up hurting him in some way...

So now I am alone, trying to figure out what to do with my life. 

~

I am currently lounging in my pool, staring up at the night sky as I wonder what to do next. 

Being a vampire can be boring at times. When you live for so long, you start to run out of things to do.

Maybe I will go and visit my friends Sam and Dean in the States. They always have something interesting going on-

The sound of my phone interrupts my thoughts. 

I sigh and leave the pool to get it. 

"Hello?" I answer, toweling my body. 

'Sara, we've got a problem.'

My eyes widen,"John Watson? Wait, what’s the problem?"

'Sherlock.' 

My face starts to turn an angry color of red as I listen to John. I grip my phone tightly,"I will be there in an hour." I then drop my phone snd quickly get dressed. I pack a small bag and then I'm out the door, on my way back to England. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	23. Lucky

Chapter 23:

3rd person POV:

John and Sherlock are currently standing in 221b, arguing over Sherlock's drug addiction. 

In the middle of their argument, Sara storms into the flat. Throwing her bag to one side as she storms up to the dirty looking Sherlock. 

"YOU FUCKING IDOT!" she roars and shoves him forcefully,"DRUGS? REALLY?!"

John stands off to one side, watching with a light smirk as Sara chews him out. 

Sherlock stares at her with wide eyes, almost not believe she is really there. 

"Answer me!" she demands,"Why are you doing them?!"

He finally finds his voice,"...A-a case. For a case."

Sara pulls at her hair in frustration,"A fucking case! Sherlock are you stupid?! Oh don't answer, because I know you are!" she shouts,"You are human, Sherlock! Your not invincible! If you keep doing this your body will shut down!"

Sherlock glances at John,"Can you give us a moment alone?"

John just chuckles,"No, I don't think I will. Enjoying the show too much."

"John!" Sherlock warns. 

~

Sara's POV:

I give John a look and nod my head. He let's out a sigh,"Fine, I will be downstairs."

Once he leaves, Sherlock relaxes quite a bit. He turns back to me and smiles softly,"It's good to see you."

I frown and narrow my eyes,"Don't change the subject. Are you happy your little act brought me here?"

He casts his gaze downward,"...I wanted to see you again."

My eyes widen and my mouth falls agape,"I cannot believe this. You did this to bring me back?"

"Not...entirely," he mutters,"I am working on a case, but I had many different ways I could go about it. This choice I knew would have the best probability at getting you back."

I stare his dirty and unshaven face, spotting the needle marks on his arms. I let out a deep sigh and run my hands over my face. 

He is like a god damn child!

"What now?" I question, lowering my hands and crossing my arms,"You have me here, what do you have planned next?"

He looks unsure,"Have you...join me on this case?"

"You better have a damn good reason other than that!" I growl. 

He ruffles his hair,"It's been months!" he suddenly explodes,"You left me rotting in a hospital, to seemingly never return. I had to do something!"

I take a menacing step toward him,"Did you already forget what you did, Sherlock?" I question,"Did you expect me to fall into your arms after Tom and I parted? Well newsflash! The real world doesn't work that way!" I shout,"I am still angry at you for what you did!"

He studies me with a calculating gaze,"You two have not gotten back together," he notes. 

I nod stiffly,"I told him that maybe it were best if we just stayed friends. I did not want to hurt him again somehow in the future."

"You protect him too much, Sara. He is not a weak human anymore."

"I have seen many of my past lovers die because of me! I do not wish to see it again!" I hiss. 

Something dawns on him. "You push so many away from you, not because you are afraid of hurting them, but because you are trying to save yourself from the pain," he notes, stepping toward me,"That is why vampires do not marry, is it not? Because they have a much higher chance of losing a loved one than a human does, and that they will live with that pain for centuries."

I look down, feeling my eyes fill with tears. 

"Sara, I know you fear of being alone, of getting hurt," he says softly,"But are the experiences and memories you share with said people not enough? Would you rather not have any of those good things to remember?"

I shake my head,"...I-I don't know."

"Everyone dies at some point. You cannot live your life in fear of it ending," his deep voice rumbles. 

He is right. You would think, that after living for so long that I would be fearless of death, like so many vampires are. ....But I'm not. I have seen so many lives cut short in an instant and it terrifies me. 

I slowly nod,"You're right."

He looks shocked,"I am?"

"Yes. I need to stop living in fear and just spend time with the people I love. If they die..." I shrug,"...Then that is what fate wants."

"Fate?" Sherlock scoffs.

I smile and pull him into a tight hug. 

"I'm still mad at you," I remind him. 

He sighs, putting his arms around me and resting his head on my shoulder,"For now, I can live with that."

I push him away,"Now go shower," I order,"You smell like shit, and I swear to god if I hear anything involving you and drugs again, I will lock you away!"

He chuckles,"Do not worry." He leaves to shower so I go downstairs to fetch John. 

Mycroft is with him and accompanies us back to the flat. 

I make some tea for them while we wait for Sherlock to finish getting ready. 

"You came back sooner than I thought you would," Mycroft says as he takes a sip of his tea and lounges in John's chair. 

I cross my arms and sit on the arm of Sherlock's chair,"Sooner than I thought as well. But it's over and done with now, Sherlock promised to stop the drugs."

He raises an eyebrow,"You believe him?"

I smile menacingly,"I think he has some incentive."

"Are you planning on staying?" John asks me from the couch. 

I nod,"I think I will for awhile," I smile and shrug,"I was getting pretty bored without you guys anyway."

Sherlock's room door opens and he walks out, clean, dressed, and freshly shaven. Looking just as he did the last time I saw him. He walks to his chair and sits next to me. I hand him a cup of tea and watch as he glares at his brother. 

"Well, then, Sherlock. Back on the sauce?” Mycroft tilts his head with a condescending smirk.

Sherlock glares at him over his cup of tea,"What are you doing here?”

"I phoned him,” John tells him.

Sherlock sends his friend a dark look then focuses back onto his brother.

"You’re a celebrity these days, Sherlock,” Mycroft tells him,"You can’t afford a drug habit.”

"I do not have a drug habit,” Sherlock denies.

Mycroft narrows his eyes and studies the room,”So, where should I be looking this time?”

“You won’t find any,” Sherlock says in an annoyed voice.

His brother raises an eyebrow,”Well, I have good reason to not believe you. Maybe I should get Anderson to come and-“

“Don’t you dare!” Sherlock growls and sets his tea down.

“The place is clean,” I assure Mycroft,”I cannot smell any sort of drugs in here.”

He tilts his head to the side and studies me, but eventually nods,”I will still have to phone our parents, of course, in Oklahoma.

Sherlock looks down and closes his eyes.

Casually sipping his tea, Mycroft stands,"Won’t be the first time that your substance abuse has wreaked havoc with their line-dancing.”

Sighing, Sherlock stands up and walks closer to his brother, "This is not what you think. This is for a case.”

Mycroft sets his cup down,"What case could possibly justify this?”

“Magnussen.”

That’s all it takes to make Mycroft’s snarky smile drop.

"Charles Augustus Magnussen,” Sherlock says, looking at his brother with a serious expression.

I frown. ‘Who is that?’

"Magnussen is not your business,” Mycroft tells his brother sternly.

Sherlock raises his eyebrows,"Oh, you mean he’s yours.”

"You may consider him under my protection,” Mycroft says vaguely.

Sherlock narrows his eyes,"I consider you under his thumb.”

"If you go against Magnussen, then you will find yourself going against me,” Mycroft warns him.

Sherlock shrugs nonchalantly,"Okay. I’ll let you know if I notice.” He strolls towards the kitchen door and pauses by it,”…What was I going to say? Oh, yeah,” He opens the door and points the way out,"Bye-bye.”

Mycroft walks to him and pauses in the doorway,"Unwise, brother of mine.”

Immediately Sherlock seizes Mycroft’s left arm just below the elbow. Twisting his arm up behind his back, he slams his brother face-first against the wall beside the kitchen door. Mycroft cries out in pain. 

Sherlock breathes rapidly, his voice venomous,"Brother of mine, don’t tease me when I’m high!”

My eyes widen and I hop off my seat, rushing to pull Sherlock off of his brother. John rushes over as well and helps steady Mycroft. "Mycroft, don’t say another word. Just go. He could snap you in two, and right now I am slightly worried that he might,” John tells him.

Sherlock shakes free of me and stomps off to the living room. Mycroft watches him and goes to say something but I stop him. "Don’t speak. Just leave.”

He looks at me with a frown, then grabs his umbrella from John and leaves.

I sigh and close he door after him. Walking into the other room, I see Sherlock standing by the window, looking out into the street.

“..Er, Magnussen?” John hesitatingly questions.

Sherlock looks at us,"What time is it?”

John checks his watch,"About eight.”

Sherlock nods and walks to his chair,"I’m meeting him in three hours.”

"It’s for a case, you said?” John asks.

Sherlock sits and fiddles with his phone,”Yep.”

I cross my arms,"What sort of case?”

"Too big and dangerous for any sane individual to get involved in,” he answers without looking up.

"You trying to put us off?” John asks.

The sociopath glances up and smirks,"God, no,” he looks at me,"Trying to recruit you.

I glance at John and see him smiling softly. I shake my head and walk toward Sherlock,”Don’t think I am going to start helping you with cases again,” I tell him,”I’m still mad.”

“You’ve already made that quite clear.”

I roll my eyes.

“Sara, I’m going to get something to eat,” John says as he puts on his coat,”Want to join me?”

“Sure, just let me change,” I tell him, then lean down to whisper in Sherlock’s ear,”Oh, and you better get rid of that weed before we return.” I stand up straight and give Sherlock a look before grabbing my bag and walking to his room to change.

He is so lucky I chose not to tell Mycroft about that.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	24. Leave

Chapter 24:

"You know Magnussen as a newspaper owner, but he’s so much more than that,” Sherlock tells us.

John and I returned after having breakfast, and he filled me in on what he knew of about Magnussen. 

"He uses his power and wealth to gain information. The more he acquires, the greater his wealth and power,” Sherlock continues. He sits down at the dining table and opens his laptop."I’m not exaggerating when I say that he knows the critical pressure point on every person of note or influence in the whole of the Western world and probably beyond. He is the Napoleon of blackmail …” He pulls up a photograph of Magnussen’s home, together with a blueprint of the building.

I cross my arms and walk up behind him to look over his shoulder.

"... and he has created an unassailable architecture of forbidden knowledge. Its name ...is Appledore.”

I frown,”Appledore?”

"It is the greatest repository of sensitive and dangerous information anywhere in the world, the Alexandrian Library of secrets and scandals – and none of it is on a computer. “

"He’s smart,” I note,”Computers can be hacked."

"It’s all on hard copy in vaults,” Sherlock says and points at the rotating blueprint on the screen,”Underneath that house; and as long as it is, the personal freedom of anyone you’ve ever met is a fantasy.”

There’s a knock on the living room door, followed by Mrs Hudson’s entering. She points back down the stairs,"Oh, that was the doorbell. Couldn’t you hear it?”

"It’s in the fridge,” Sherlock answers,"It kept ringing.”

Mrs.Hudson lets out a frustrated sigh,”Oh, Sherlock!”

"Who is it?” John questions.

I look at the door and hear four men downstairs. I also hear the fast heartbeat of Mrs. Hudson. She is nervous, scared even.

She goes down the stairs and I hear her tell the men to come up.

Three men walk into the living room, obviously security guards. The watch us suspiciously with their hands clasped in front of them.

Sherlock stands,"Oh, go ahead,” he sighs and spreads his arms to allow one of the goons to frisk him. The other two walk to John and I.

“Miss? Sir?” the guards question.

I narrow my eyes and cross my arms.

Sherlock sighs,”Just get it over with, Sara.”

I grit my teeth and raise my arms, letting the guard frisk me. He does so quickly and thankfully his hands don’t wander to places they shouldn’t.

John glances over to Sherlock, then looks back to the man,"Can I have a moment?”

Sherlock lowers his arms from his frisking and looks across to the man,"Oh, he’s fine.”

The man glances at Sherlock, then kneels down in front of John and starts searching him.

John looks nervous,"Er, I ... right. I should probably tell you…”

The man reaches into John’s jacket pocket and takes out small knife. He looks at John and raises an eyebrow.

"Okay, I … that..” John doesn’t know what to say.

The man pulls John’s jacket open.

"And…”

The man stands up, holding the tyre lever he has just taken from John’s jeans and looking at him sternly. Sherlock and I look at John with disbelief.

‘Jesus! How much did I miss while away?’ I ask myself. 

"I can vouch for this man,” Sherlock tells the guards,"He’s a doctor. If you know who I am, then you know who he is …” He turns his head towards the door as a tall balding man with glasses walks in and stops just inside the doorway." ... Don’t you, Mr.Magnussen?”

Sherlock narrows his eyes at the man,"I understood we were meeting at your office.”

Magnussen looks round the room for a moment, then says,"This is my office.” He walks slowly towards the sofa, then stops and turns to look at John, then at me. "Well, it is now.”

'This man gives me the creeps. Something is off about him.'

He continues on to the dining table, picks up a newspaper from it and then goes back and sits down on the sofa.

"Mr. Magnussen,” Sherlock says,"I have been asked to intercede with you by Lady Elizabeth Smallwood on the matter of her husband’s letters.”

Magnussen seems to all but ignore him, focusing on the room, couch, and newspaper. Anything but what Sherlock is talking about.

Sherlock looks put off his game,"Some time ago you... put pressure on her concerning those letters.” Magnussen finally looks up at him, leaning back on the sofa. "She would like those letters back.”

Magnussen looks at Sherlock silently as he continues speaking, looking like he is off in his own world and still not listening to my friend.

"Obviously the letters no longer have any practical use to you, so with that in mind…” Sherlock breaks off, studying the strange man.

Magnussen gives a quiet snort.

Sherlock narrows his eyes,"Something I said?”

"No, no. I was... reading,” Magnussen adjusts his glasses.

Sherlock frowns, looking as confused as John and I.

The man shakes his head,"S-sorry. You were probably talking?”

Sherlock actually looks as a loss for words,"I …” he pauses and clears his throat,"I was trying to explain that I’ve been asked to act on behalf of-“

“Bathroom?” Magnussen interrupts and looks at his security guard.

The guard nods to the right,"Along from the kitchen, sir.”

Magnussen nods,”Okay.”

"I’ve been asked to negotiate the return of those letters,” Sherlock says more firmly.

Magnussen ignores him again and looks out the window.

I glance at John and give him a look, he shrugs looking as confused as me.

"I’m aware you do not make copies of sensitive documents,“ Sherlock says,"Am I acceptable to you as an intermediary?”

"Lady Elizabeth Smallwood,” Magnussen murmurs,"I like her.” He stands,"She’s English, with a spine.” 

One of the security guards steps forward to the fireplace, taking the fire guard away from the front of the unlit fire.

I frown, wondering what they are doing.

"Best thing about the English…” Magnussen says softly, looking over John and Sherlock,"... You’re so domesticated. All standing around, apologizing…” He then walks in between Sherlock, John, and I towards the fireplace. " …Keeping your little heads down,” He stands in front of the fireplace, facing it. Then he does the unthinkable.

"You can do what you like here. No-one’s ever going to stop you.” He looks down and starts to pee in the fireplace.

My eyes redden. 'How dare he! Who the hell is this disgusting man?!'

Sherlock steps over to me and grips my shoulder, giving me a look. I clench my hands into fists and try to calm myself down. 

John blinks in shock and half-turns his head away from the disgusting man. Sherlock keeps his eyes on me, calming me down.

"And you, the mysterious Sara Knightly…” Magnussen glances over his shoulder at me,"Or should I say, Serona Knight?" he tilts his head and smiles pervishly as he looks me over,"It was hard to dig up anything on you, but your real name gave me loads of information."

I narrow my eyes and silently curse Mycroft. 

I cross my arms,"You don't know anything about me," I growl. 

He chuckles"Oh really?” he finishes urinating and zips his pants back up. He turns to face us,”Where have you been the past few months?” he suddenly questions. He grabs a wet wipe from his guard and wipes his hands with it,”You used to solve cases with the boys, but then you up and left. The same time Sherlock was admitted into the hospital.”

”I had a family emergency to deal with,” I lie.

He steps closer to me,”Well, I know that's a lie. I also know what you really are.”

I make no change in my expression,”I don’t know what you mean.”

He smiles,”Yes, you do,” He looks at Sherlock briefly,"Tell Lady Elizabeth I might need those letters, so I’m keeping them.”

He finishes wiping his fingers and casually drops the wet wipe to the floor.

Turning back to me, he cocks his head to the side,”Shall I prove it, then?" he reaches out and caresses my cheek. 

I go to shove him across the room ...but I feel all my strength drain as soon as he touches me. 

H-how is he doing this?!

He sees the fear in my eyes and smiles viciously,”Your secret isn’t such a secret anymore."

He removes his hand and with some parting words and a teasing showing of some letters, he leaves us. 

As soon as he is out the door, Sherlock turns to me with a look of worry. "What did he do? Are you okay?" he questions. 

I let out a breath and shake my head,"W-when he touched me, I felt all my strength drain," I tell him and John,"He knows what I am."

“Jesus!” John shouts and runs his hands through his hair,”Who the hell is this man?!”

“That’s what I would like to know,” I growl,”Where is he getting his information?”

"Did you notice the one extraordinary thing he did?” Sherlock questions.

John nods,"There was a moment that kind of stuck in the mind, yeah.”

“A few,” I mutter, crossing my arms.

Sherlock pays us almost no attention and smiles,"Exactly – when he showed us the letters.”

He walks across the room, still smiling, while John closes his eyes in disbelief. I let out a sigh and walk to Sherlock’s chair and sit.

" … Okay,” John says, waiting for Sherlock to explain.

"So he’s brought the letters to London – so no matter what he says, he’s ready to make a deal,” Sherlock says,"Now, Magnussen only makes a deal once he’s established a person’s weaknesses – the ‘pressure point,’ he calls it,” He picks up his coat from a dining chair and puts it on. "So, clearly he believes I’m a drug addict and no serious threat.”

“What about me?” I question,”He knows I am a vampire. I’m a threat.”

Sherlock walks to the window and looks out it. He shakes his head,”Not to him. He was able to block your powers, to weaken you. You are no threat to him at the moment.” Turning back and gesturing enthusiastically,"And, of course, because he’s in town tonight, the letters will be in his safe in his London office while he’s out to dinner with the Marketing Group of Great Britain from seven ’til ten.”

“How do you know his schedule?” John questions.

"Because I do. Right – I’ll see you tonight.”

"What’s tonight?” I ask.

"I’ll text instructions,” Sherlock tells me.

I stand,”I told you that I will not be going on any cases with you anytime soon,” I tell him with my arms crossed.

He lets out a frustrated sigh and walks up to me, gripping my shoulders tightly,”Don’t you miss the thrill of solving them? I know John does. Don’t let your anger at me get in the way of what you love,” he tells me.

I step back,”What I love? You mean what you love. This is what you like to do Sherlock,” I tell him,”Sure, it’s fun. But every case just leads to something bad and I’m getting tired of it."

All emotion leaves his face. ”Why are you still here then?” he questions coldly,”Leave if you are not going to be of any help.”

“He doesn’t mean that-“ John tries to tell me.

I shake my head and turn away from them. “Fine. I will leave,” I flit to Sherlock’s room to grab the bag I brought, then walk back into the living room. “Goodbye, John. If you ever need something, call me up,” I tell him with a sad smile. I then ignore Sherlock and leave the flat.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	25. He's dying

Chapter 25:

Standing atop a tall building in the center of London, I look over the city, taking in this beautiful sight. The sun is just starting to go down, bathing everything in the afternoon light.

I pick my bag off the ground and take a step off the building, free falling forty feet to the ground. I land silently in an alleyway and slip out into the main streets without being seen.

As I’m waiting for a cab to wave down, a sleek black car pulls up in front of me. The door opens and a girl walks out.

I sigh and hand her my bag,”Let’s get this over with.” 

~

“A phone call would have sufficed,” I tell Mycroft as I walk into his office. I drop my bag and perch myself on the edge of his desk, crossing my arms as I wait for him to speak.

He slowly shuts his laptop,”That wouldn’t assure that you would come.”

”What do you want, Mycroft?”

He clasps his hands together on his desk and looks up at me,”I need you to make sure my little brother stays away from Magnussen.”

I laugh weakly,”Well, that might be kinda hard since Sherlock pretty much kicked me out.”

He frowns,”Kicked you out?”

I nod and look down at my hands,”All because I wouldn’t help him with this case. ...Guess he didn’t miss me that much,” I murmur.

“I know my little brother, he wouldn’t-“

I cut him off,“Well he did. I’m leaving, so just drop it.” I stand and walk toward the door.

“If he is really is your friend, you will stop him,” Mycroft tells me,”Magnussen is not someone to mess with. It can only end badly for my brother.”

I pause at the door. 

“You wish to keep him and John Watson safe, correct?"

I let out a sigh and turn around. I slowly walk back to him, dropping my bag I then walk around his desk and push his chair back and move his laptop so I can sit on his desk in front of him.

”Fine,” I tell him, then I pull out my phone and text John.

Me: Where are you and Sherlock going to be tonight?

As I wait for his reply, I notice Mycroft and has scooted closer and now sits in between my legs. I frown at him,”What are you doing?”

He hesitantly reaches his hands up and runs them over my thighs. I raise an eyebrow,”Um excuse me? This is not ok."

He stands and moved his face closer to mine. I push him back and hop off his desk. "Mycroft, I'm not in the mood!" I say, annoyed by his actions. 

He frowns at me,"Are my brothers better in some way?"

I roll my eyes,"You know that's not it. I just split with Tom, give me at least a month before you make a move."

Before he can reply, I get a text from John. 

John: We are headed to Magnussen's office to steal those letters. ....You know Sherlock didn't mean it. He is just confused with all these feelings that he is unused to. 

I sigh and type back. 

Me: I'm on way. 

I put my phone in my pocket and look at Mycroft. "I'm going to meet up with them, hopefully before they do something stupid." I turn and walk out of the room. 

Once outside, I quickly make my way to the address John sent me. 

I reach the tall building and search for his office. I spot the right room from outside and swiftly make my way to a shadowed, deserted corner to jump onto the building. I then scale the wall up to the office floor. 

Slipping in through a window, I then sneak into the hall and walk to the office. 

I hear faint voices but I'm too far to make sense of them. Then, my heart stops as a gun shot rings through the air. 

Though the gunshot was from a silenced pistol, I still heard it clear as day. 

Flitting toward the sound, I rush past John, barely even noticing him. I then find Sherlock in another room, on the ground and bleeding from a bullet wound to the chest.

Tears spring to my eyes and I fall to my knees next to him. 

"JOHN!!" I scream as I rip a piece of my shirt off and press it to Sherlock's wound. 

I look around and find Magnussen across the room on the floor unconscious. No one else is in the room with us, no gun in sight.

So who shot Sherlock?

I hear John rushing toward the room as I sniff the air for the shooter. 

My eyes widen at the familiar scent. It can't be...

"What happened?!" John shouts as he enters the room, stopping when he sees his friend bleeding. 

"He was shot. Call an ambulance," I tell him calmly. 

"By who?!" John questions as he dials the number. 

I pause and glance up at him. He is staring at the unconscious Sherlock, looking very worried. 

I gulp and shake my head, looking away,"I-I only entered the building when I heard the gunshot. When I got to him the shooter was gone."

John nods and talks to the people on the phone. 

I look down at Sherlock and feel worry starting to bubble in the pit of my stomach. He is losing too much blood. The bullet is still inside of him, but the internal damage it has caused seems great. I can hear his heart and other organs working overtime, his body is wanting to go into shock. 

I press down on his wound and close my eyes. Listening closely, I can tell that there is something wrong with his heart. The bullet may have grazed it, or went through a main artery.

“The ambulance is on the way,” John tells me and kneels next to us,”How is he?”

I shake my head and open my eyes,”...He is dying, John.”

His face turns white,”…What?” he whispers.

“Hold this down,” I instruct him to take over pressing the cloth onto Sherlock’s wound. I then shrug off my jacket and roll up my sleeves.

John blinks at me,”W-what are you doing?”

“I’m going to give him a fighting chance,” I tell him, then I bite into my wrist. I tilt Sherlock’s head back and open his mouth a little, I then squeeze some drops of my blood into his mouth.

“Wait, what are you-“

“Relax,” I tell John,”I am just giving him enough to keep him alive until they can operate on him.” I pull my arm back and wipe the excess blood on my pants. 

‘Giving him too much blood would have turned him into a vampire, it was very risky but I could not just let him die. It is my fault he is in this predicament. If I would have just came with, then I could have prevented all this.’

The paramedics come quicker than I thought they would, and they swiftly get Sherlock packed into the ambulance with John and I left to follow behind in a cab.

Sherlock is taken into surgery as soon as he arrives. John and I are left to wait for hours.

~ 

After a close call, Sherlock is finally released from surgery. John and I rest nervously in his room, waiting for him to wake. 

The doctors said he was dead for almost a minute. I fear that my blood may have taken hold in that time. As of right now, I do not know who will wake up. Sherlock? Or a vampire?

“…Mary.”

My head shoots up and I am at Sherlock’s side in an instant. He is sill unconscious, but I think he will wake soon.

John stands next to me, a frown on his face,”Mary? Why would he be thinking of her?”

I bite my tongue and shrug.

John eventually leaves to take a shower and change into a new set of clothes, but I stay with Sherlock, waiting for him to wake.

About an hour later, and his eyes start to open.

“...S-sara?” he croaks.

I jump to my feet and stand over him,”How are you feeling?” I ask urgently as I check his eyes and mouth,”Hungry? Does this sound loud to you?” I snap my fingers near his ears.

He sluggishly pushes me away,”...No. W-what are you doing?"

I study his eyes then let out a sigh of relief and let go of him. 

‘He didn’t turn. Thank god.’

Sherlock starts to groan in pain so I quickly get a nurse and call John.

~

Sherlock is sleeping again when John and Mary show up.

“How is he?” Mary asks me, pretending to be concerned.

I narrow my eyes,”He is fine now. The doctors say it was a miracle he survived though.”

I notice her look down at he feet, as though feeling guilty for what she did.

I don’t care if she feels bad, that bitch is on my to die list now! But I will first get the story from Sherlock before I do anything rash. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	26. I can't believe I'm doing this

Chapter 26:

“I just got the news from Mycroft. How is he?” Tom pants as he rushes into the hall of the hospital. 

“He is stable now,” I tell him,”He woke up for a couple seconds but has fallen back asleep since.”

He lets out a breath and falls into a chair. He runs his hands through his hair,”I knew his job was dangerous… but seeing him actually hurt makes it all so real. I wish he would have just taken a normal job.”

I sit next to him and lay my hand on his shoulder,”But that isn’t the Holmes way.”

He gives a weak chuckle,”We seem to always find violence and danger, don’t we?”

I nod,”And if I remember right, you were the one to put him in the hospital last time.”

He glares at the floor,”I wasn’t aiming on killing him,” he then growls,”But he deserved it.”

I sigh and shake my head,”Do you want to see him?”

He nods and stands. I let him go into Sherlock’s room alone and wait for him outside.

He returns rather quickly.

“Was he still asleep?” I ask.

He nods and stands in front of me,”I just wanted to see that he was okay. I don’t think he would be too happy to see me if he woke.”

We stand in silence for a bit. Sounds of the bustling hospital surrounding us.

“…How have you been?” Tom hesitatingly asks.

I nod,”Good. I took a break in Italy for a few months, but I was called back by John.”

He nods,”That’s good.”

Silence fills the air again. 

"...Sara-"

I stop him,"I can't do this right now Tom," I spot John and Mary leaving Sherlock's room. "I'm sorry but..." I step away from him and walk to John. 

"He's awake," John tells me. 

I nod and rush into his room. Sherlock is sitting up in his bed, looking annoyed at all the wires connected to him. 

"John, did you tell them to let me go yet…” he trails off when he sees me,"Sara?"

I step towards him and take a seat by his bed,"Hey. How do you feel?"

He scoffs,"Sore. I was shot." His eyes narrow and he glares at the wall, probably thinking about Mary. 

"I know who shot you," I tell him. 

His eyes shoot to me in surprise. "I found you just after you were shot," I continue,"I could smell Mary's scent all over the room."

He studies me with calculating eyes,"John said that you saved me. That I would have died before the paramedics arrived."

I nod,"...I gave you some of my blood. Just enough to heal your heart so that the doctors could get to you."

He narrows his eyes,"...I'm not a vampire, am I?"

I shake my head,"No. I made sure that you didn't turn."

He slowly nods, looking almost disappointed.

I lick my lips and ask,"What happened last night? Why did Mary shoot you?"

He let’s out a sigh and gazes at the wall,"I walked into Magnussen's office to find her holding him at gun point," he tells me,"I assume he had information on her and she did not want John to find out. When I barged in, she realized she could not shoot him with me there. So she knocked Magnussen out and shot me, then she left."

I lean back in my chair,"So, who is she?"

Sherlock grits his teeth,"I don't know. Assassin maybe, covert op," he lets out a frustrated sigh,"She lied magnificently, had all of us fooled."

I nod,"She did. What are we going to do about her?" I ask,"Can I kill her?"

He shakes his head,"No. John would be devastated. Mary is a liar...but she still is John's wife, and our friend."

"Friend?!" I growl,"She almost killed you!"

"She had to. I don't agree with her ways, but she was just trying to protect John and herself."

I clench my hands into fists. 'I can't believe he is defending her!'

I calm myself and grip my knees. "What is your plan then?" I question. 

He turns to me,"Get me out of here."

_______________________________________________

I can't believe I am doing this. 

Sherlock leans against the wall, wincing in pain. We are waiting for John and Mary to come after us. Sherlock somehow convinced me to help him escape the hospital so we could reveal Mary's true self to John. 

It sounded like a decent plan at the time, but seeing Sherlock in so much pain makes in not worth it. He is so stubborn though. 

Quickly setting up a projection of Mary's face onto the fake building we are hiding out in, I then call John. 

'Jesus, Sara!' he shouts through the phone,'Where are you? Is Sherlock with you?'

I sigh,"Yes, he is. Just come to the address I texted you and don't tell anyone else. Not Greg, not Mrs. Hudson, not even Mary. Come alone," I stress. 

I hear him sigh,'Fine.'

He hangs up and I turn to Sherlock,"He is on his way."

He nods,"Good," he winces a bit and leans back against a wall. 

I sigh and walk over to him,"How did you convince me to do this? You are only going to hurt yourself more."

"Because you... want John to know the truth... too," he groans out. 

I hate to see him in so much pain, but he is right. John needs to know, the sooner the better. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	27. Jesus, Sherlock!

Chapter 27:

John arrived and is currently sitting in a dim hallway with his jacket collar turned up and his hair ruffled to look like Sherlock's. This is how we are going to trick Mary into telling the truth. Telling John ourselves would be meaningless, he needs to hear it from her. 

I sniff the air then turn to Sherlock,"She is nearby."

He nods and pulls out his phone to call her. 

I wait in the darkened hall, anxious for Mary to get here so we can finish this. I am worried about Sherlock's health. He should be in a hospital, not walking around.

Sounds of footsteps reach my ears. I nudge Sherlock and give him a look. He nods.

Mary walks into the darkened hallway, talking to Sherlock on her phone. She stops when she sees the silhouette at the end of the room which is actually John. I stand in a shadowed area near her, just incase she decides to do something crazy like shoot the sitting ‘Sherlock’.

"How good a shot are you?" Sherlock questions Mary from his spot down another corridor.

She reaches inside her coat, pulls out her pistol and cocks it, holding it down by her side. "How badly do you want to find out?”

I tense and ready myself to intervene if need be.

"If I die here, my body will be found in a building with your face projected on the front of it,” Sherlock smartly counters,"Even Scotland Yard could get somewhere with that. Also, you would have a very angry maid of honor on your hands."

Mary nods her agreement, still looking towards the shadowed figure at the end of the corridor. 

Sherlock then goads her into showing him how good of a shot she is. Mary takes a coin from her pocket and flips it up into the air, shooting it with precision accuracy before it can fall.

Sherlock then walks out of his hiding place from behind her, turns his phone off and reveals himself. Mary turns, not too shocked.

"May I see?” Sherlock asks wth his hand out.

Mary peers towards the shadowy figure sitting at the end of the corridor, then lowers her head and turns to Sherlock, laughing quietly. "It’s a dummy. Or Sara.” She lowers her phone from her ear,"I suppose it was a fairly obvious trick.”

She walks a few paces forward, puts her foot against the coin and sends it sliding across the floor towards him. Sherlock puts his foot onto it to stop it. He looks at her as she continues her slow walk towards him, then he bends down and picks up the coin. When he straightens up and speaks, his voice is tight with pain.

"And yet, over a distance of six feet, you failed to make a kill shot,” Sherlock hums. He holds the coin up to show the hole shot through it. He looks like hell – shaky on his feet, sweating and breathing heavily as he continues talking.

"Actually, you may have succedded if not for me,” I say as I step out of my hiding spot to stand next to Sherlock,"You didn't intend to kill him, but you almost did by dumb luck. The bullet just happened to nick an artery.”

Mary meets my gaze for a moment, then lowers her eyes.

I cock my head to the side, eyes narrowed,"If it wasn't for John and Sherlock, you would be dead at my feet right now."

Mary raises her gaze in shock. Sherlock looks at her with weary eyes,”...You are not the only one with secrets. Sara is a highly trained killer as well." After a moment of silence,"I’ll take the case.”

Mary looks at him,"What case?”

“Yours.” He turns a bit angry,"Why didn’t you come to me in the first place?”

"Because John can’t ever know that I lied to him. It would break him and I would lose him forever – and, Sherlock, I will never let that happen,” Mary says with true emotion,”Please… understand. There is nothing in this world that I would not do to stop that happening.”

Sherlock turns away from her,”Sorry,” he walks to a fuse box and flips on the lights,"Not that obvious a trick.”

Behind her, John stands and fixes his hair, lowering his jacket collar as well.

Even though Mary has not seen him yet, her face fills with dread as if she has already realized the truth. Lowering her eyes and letting out a breath, she turns to look along the corridor to where the figure at the end can now be seen clearly. She gasps, while John glares at her with a look of betrayal. 

"Now talk, and sort it out,” Sherlock says breathlessly, obviously in pain. "Do it quickly.”

I wrap my arm around Sherlock to keep him upright. We then all return to the flat on Baker street to converse in a more secure environment. 

~

We sit in tense silence at the flat. John is glaring at Mary, she is avoiding his gaze, and I’m watching Sherlock worriedly. I want to get him back to the hospital but he refused to until John and Mary sort everything out.

John starts to question Mary, asking if she really ever loved him. He is angry, but I can also see how heartbroken he is.

“Of course I love you!” Mary tells him earnestly,”That will never change. I just… I thought if you knew my past that you would leave me.”

“Who are you then?”

She gulps and then pulls a small flash drive from her pocket. “This contains my entire past. Everything is on here,” she hands it to John,”I just ask that you not look at it while I’m here.”

John stays quiet, looking at the flash drive.

“John?” Sherlock questions.

“How can you be so calm about this?” John snarls at his hurt friend,”How long have you known about this?!”

“We only found out when she shot him,” I intervene.

“Yes. She shot him!”

“She was only trying to keep you safe,” Sherlock tells John,”Magnussen is a menace to society. Had she just killed him, then you and I would be held accountable. This was the only way-“

“SHE SHOT YOU!” John shouts.

“She also saved me!” Sherlock raises his voice, then winces as pain flares within his body.

I frown,”What do you mean?”

Sherlock’s breathing starts to worsen,”She called the ambulance.”

“No, I did,” John says.

“It takes an ambulance approximently-“ 

Suddenly the door to the flat slams open and two paramedics charge in.

Sherlock looks at his watch and smiles weakly,”8 minutes to arrive,” he stands,”The ambulance would have arrived much later if it was the one John called. No, it was Mary who called. Allowing the paramedics to arrive minutes earlier to save me. Even with Sara’s help, I may have still died if it wasn’t for Mary.”

The paramedics stand there confused. “Um, we got a call about someone suffering a gun shot wound.”

“Yes, that would be me,” Sherlock stumbles towards them,”I was shot a couple days ago, but I fear that I may be bleeding internally.” He suddenly collapses.

I rush to catch him. “Jesus, Sherlock!”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	28. It is about damn time

Chapter 28:

Sherlock was admitted back into the hospital and his wound treated. Now he is just supposed to rest in the hospital for a week or so, then he can return to the flat.

I’m still angry as hell that he did not tell me he was in such pain. It was stupid of him, but I still feel guilty about the entire ordeal.

I sigh,"This is my fault.”

I am sitting in a chair at Sherlock’s bedside in the hospital. It is just us at the moment.

Sherlock frowns at me,"How so?"

"If I would have just accompanied you and John, then this would have never happened."

The sociopath tilts his head,"How did you find me? I thought you weren't coming on the case."

I take in a deep breath and look out the window,"Too be honest, it was Mycroft who wanted me to go. He told me to remove you and John from the case."

He narrows his eyes,"You came to stop us!"

I nod and look at my feet,"I did. But I just wanted to keep you safe. That man is dangerous."

"I was doing fine on my own-"

"Really? Because you got shot on your own!" I snap, glaring at him. 

His piercing blue eyes bare into mine. "I don't need you to protect me. If you do not want to be here, then leave."

I let out a frustrated sigh,"I want to be here!" I tell him, feeling aggravated,"I want to be by you. I love you Sherlock and I won't leave you again!"

He stares at me, stunned by my statement. Then he narrows his eyes,"Did Mycroft put you up to this? Because if so-"

I cut him off by leaning in and attaching my lips to his. 

He freezes, as if unsure of what to do, but he eventually kisses back before I pull away. 

"Was that enough proof?" I ask with an eyebrow raised. 

He still looks stunned,"More wouldn't hurt."

I smile and roll my eyes, laughing softly. 

"...What are you doing?" he questions me with suspicious eyes,"Why return my affection now?"

I let out a sigh and lower my gaze to my hands,"...I finally realized, that my love for you is stronger than I thought," I say softly,"Seeing you almost die made me think of how much I would miss you if you were gone. I already went through that once, I don't plan on going through it again," I raise my eyes and lock gazes with him,"Life has unexpected events, so many twists and turns. I do not want to miss my opportunity to be with you."

"What about Tom?"

I gulp,"...I think you were right. We were familiar, memories bonded us, but I don't love him the same way I love you," I tell him,"He will always be my friend, but he does not hold my heart anymore."

Sherlock mulls that over then slowly nods,”...Okay."

I blink,"O-okay? What does that mean?!"

"It means we are 'dating' now."

"Dating? But you didn't even ask me?!"

He looks confused,"We both know we love each other, why would I bother asking you to date me?" he questions,"I thought it was rather obvious." 

I shake my head and sigh,"I'm not going to even bother," I stand and pat his head,"Get well soon, Sherlock."

"Your leaving?"

I nod and smirk,"I'm sure John needs someone right now, and you are just stuck in this bed. It would be pointless for me to stay here and do nothing."

His lips lift slightly in a smirk. I then leave him and walk to the flat on Baker street.   
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	29. You've got to be kidding me

Chapter 29:

3rd person POV:

It is Christmas day in the Holmes household. Sitting in the kitchen of the elder Holmes’s small cottage, Mycroft wearily rubs his brow. "How can it only be two o’clock? I’m in agony,” he moans in despair.

“It is not all that bad,” Sara says as she enters the room,”Get into the spirit of things, Mycroft.”

He rolls his eyes,”And why are you in such an uplifting attitude?” he questions, leaning back in his chair,”You were never one to celebrate holidays other than halloween.”

Sara moves to sit next to Sherlock who is currently reading a newspaper. She shrugs,”I’ve never had a family to celebrate it with. It is nice to do such a… normal thing.”

“Oh!” Mrs. Holmes exclaims and looks at her with a sad expression,”No family to celebrate with?”

Sara shakes her head,”Afraid not.”

“Well, you have Sherlock and us now. Visit Tim and I whenever you like, sweetie,” she smiles softly then walks to the table the others are sitting at and points down to a silver-grey laptop on the table, half-obscured by a chopping board on top of it which has several whole peeled potatoes and the peelings on it. "Mikey, is this your laptop?” she asks.

Mycroft sighs,”On which depends the security of the free world, yes,” he smiles rather sarcastically up at her,”And you’ve got potatoes on it.”

Sherlock glances over towards them.

"Well, you shouldn’t leave it lying around if it’s so important,” Mrs. Holmes scoffs and picks up the chopping board.

"Why are we doing this? We never do this,” Mycroft questions, gesturing at the scene.

His mother sighs exasperatedly,"We are here because Sherlock is home from hospital and we are all very happy.”

Mycroft looks up at her with an extremely insincere smile,"Am I happy too? I haven’t checked.”

Sara giggles softly.

"Behave, Mike,” Mrs. Holmes tells him as she busies around the kitchen.

"‘Mycroft’ is the name you gave me, if you could possibly struggle all the way to the end,” he says a little irritated.

“Behave, Mike,” Sara copies with a teasing smile.

He sends her a glare.

“Oh, and we are celebrating Sherlock having his first girlfriend!” their mother squeals. She holds her hand over her chest,”I was afraid it would never happen. I may get grandchildren!”

Sherlock lowers his newspaper and glares at his mother,”Please contain yourself. You don’t want to scare Sara off, do you?”

Sara meanwhile just giggles and waves her hands dismissively,”It’s alright, Sherlock,” she leans in close to him and whispers teasingly,”A couple little curly haired brainiacs running around might not be so bad.”

Sherlock freezes, looking extremely uncomfortable. Mycroft rolls his eyes at his brother,”She is joking, Sherlock.”

The sociopath clears his throat and raises his newspaper and starts to read again.

Sara sends a smirk to Mycroft then takes a sip from her glass of blood.

While a homeless friend of Sherlock walks into the room and hands Mrs.Holmes a glass of punch, Sara gazes out the window and her thoughts start to wander.

‘I wish Tom could be here,’ she thinks sadly to herself,’But I am afraid his parents would have a heart attack if they saw him alive after so many years. It is better that they not know. They have already grieved and gotten on with their lives, no need to bring up past pain.’ She lets out a sigh and glances to Sherlock. He is looking at his watch, something Sara has witnessed him do multiple times today. ‘He is acting strange. What is he hiding?’ she wonders.

Standing up, Sara then walks out of the house with Sherlock and Mycroft following. 

The two brother start to smoke while the vampire pulls her hood up over her head and sits on a small stone wall next to them. 

"Those will kill you," Sara notes. 

Sherlock scoffs,"And so will a million other things. Especially in my line of work."

Sara laughs softly,"Very true."

"Too bad our dear older brother could not make it," Mycroft quips. 

Sherlock glares off in the distance, showing the distain he has for his brother without words. 

"Would give your parents a heart attack if he did come," Sara says as she shields her eyes from the mid-morning sun. 

Mycroft takes other puff of his cigarette,"The sad truth." He then starts to cough and makes a disgusted face,"This isn't agreeing with me."

"You need low tar," Sherlock mutters. 

Mycroft drops his bud and steps on it then glances to his brother. "...Merry Christmas, Sherlock."

Sherlock starts to cough and quickly looks at him with shock written on his face. "What the hell?!"

Mycroft shrugs smiles weakly,"Just getting into the christmas spirit."

Sherlock still continues to stare at him like he is crazy. 

"Okay, this is weird," Mycroft mutters,"Maybe there was something in the punch."

Sherlock nods,"Maybe."

Sara stands and walks to Mycroft, putting her arm around him,"Let's go eat some cookies."

They leave Sherlock and walk inside. 

Wanda is still cooking and has set out several plates of appetizers. 

Tim is sitting at the table now, reading Sherlock's newspaper. 

"Mother, where are the biscuits?" Mycroft questions. 

"On the table, dear."

Sara and Mycroft sit. Tim passes them the basket of cookies and smiles at Sara. "How are you, sweetheart?"

She smiles,"I am good. A bit tired though. How are you?"

He yawns,"Suddenly tired as well," he chuckles softly and his eyes start to droop. 

"Oh, I need to sit down," Wanda comments and walks to the table,"I'm so... tired..." her head slowly hits the table and she is sound asleep. 

Sara's eyes widen and she stands,"Wanda? Are you okay-" she stops when she sees both Tim and Mycroft unconscious as well. 

Sherlock walks into the house and smiles when he sees all the unconscious bodies. He quickly walks to them and places his hand in front of each of their noses to check if they are still breathing. 

"Sherlock! What the hell did you do?" Sara snaps. 

“They are perfectly safe,” he says calmly as he darts into the next room.

Sara hears John in the other room, frantically calling out to Mary.

Sherlock strides back in and grabs his scarf from the coat rack. John walks in after him, glaring at the sociopath. "Did you just drug my pregnant wife?” he looks at Sara accusingly.

She holds her hands up,”I had no part in this, I swear!”

"Don’t worry,” Sherlock says as he puts on his scarf,"Wiggins is an excellent chemist.”

Sherlock’s drug friend joins us in the kitchen. “I calculated your wife’s dose meself. Won’t affect the little one,” he tells John,"I’ll keep an eye on ’er.”

"He’ll monitor their recovery,” Sherlock says as he walks to the unconscious Mycroft,"It’s more or less his day job.” He then proceeds to bend down and take the silver-grey laptop from the table, pulling it from under where Mycroft has one hand resting on it.

Sara stares at him incredulously,"What the hell have you done?”

Sherlock takes a moment to reply,"... A deal with the devil.”

John turns away from him, running his hand through his hair,"Oh, Jesus.”

Sara takes a deep breath,"Sherlock... please tell me you haven’t just gone out of your mind?”

He just smirks and stands up straight,"I’d rather keep you guessing.”

Suddenly, the sound of an approaching helicopter can be heard.

Sherlock looks upwards and smiles,”Ah, there’s our lift.”

Sara sighs,“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh by the way, have any of you guys watched Saturday Night Live with Benedict? It is so fucking funny! I am legit crying


	30. Sherlock ...what have you done?

Chapter 30:

On the way to Appledore, Sherlock fills us in on what is going on. Apparently he has struck a deal with that disgusting man, Magnussen. Mycroft’s laptop in exchange to see the Appledore vaults. I cannot believe Sherlock would do something so stupid- wait yes I can. Because this is what he always does. 

“Sara, are you alright?” John questions me.

I am glaring at Sherlock who sits across from me in the helicopter. “No, I’m not. Sherlock, how could you sell out your brother?” I growl.

The sociopath sighs dramatically and looks at me,”Do you really have no trust in me? We are ‘dating’ now.”

“Don’t make excuses for your actions-“

“Sara, I have a plan!” he tells me with an eye roll,”I ‘always’ have a plan.”

I cross my arms and sit back in my seat,”Fine. I will just wait and watch you execute your plan, I promise not to interfere.”

He nods,”Thank you.”

John clears his throat,”Sherlock, why are Sara and I here exactly?”

“We are his plan B,” I tell my hedgehog friend before Sherlock can answer.

My boyfriend sends me a glare but stays quiet. I know I am right.

We soon land outside a large house, no other houses can be seen for miles.

Two guards come to collect us and escort us into the building where Magnussen awaits. 

The man himself sits on a sofa, he smiles mockingly when we arrive. He shoos his men away and motions for us to sit, which only Sherlock does. 

Sherlock sits quite contently on the couch, too calm for my liking. He thinks everything will go as he has planned, but I know that is never going to happen, it never does. 

"Oh. It was you," Sherlock says calmly as he faces a TV screen. 

I glance at what he is watching and see footage of Sherlock and I rescuing John from the bonfire. 

I clench my jaw and try to contain my anger. Not that I could do much, because as soon as I entered this building I felt my powers drain. I am weaker than the average human now. 

"Yes, of course," Magnussen replies,"Very hard to find a pressure point on you, Mr. Holmes. ...Not anymore though, you are in a relationship with Ms.Knightly, aren't you?"

"That does not concern you," I growl. 

He turns his gaze on me and smiles perverishly,"Feeling weak my dear?" he questions, noting my slight swaying as I try to remain upright. 

I glare at him,"How are you doing this?"

"Darkwood, built within these very walls. I often inject myself with a daily shot of a liquified version. Can't be too careful when there are monsters like you running about."

I bite my tongue and lean against John for support. 

"It is a wonder he keeps you around," Magnussen murmurs,"Such a dangerous creature, one which I'm sure he found hard to believe was real. But to hold such a secret, I'm afraid you trust too many with it."

"Not many would believe. I'm not afraid of being revealed," I tell him,"You know as well as I that I could be gone by tomorrow without a trace if I so wished."

He nods slowly,"Yes, but then you leave your boy-toy and little friend alone and unprotected," he looks to the screen,"Look how you both care about John Watson."

"You..." John growls and walks closer to Magnussen,"... Put me in a fire ... for leverage?"

"Oh, I’d never let you burn, Doctor Watson. I had people standing by," he gazes cooly at John,"I'm not a murderer ... unlike your wife."

John stares at him grimly. He holds his gaze for a while, then glances across to Sherlock who ignores us both.

Magnussen stands and walks toward the tv screen. "Let me explain how leverage works, Doctor Watson. For those who understand these things, Mycroft Holmes is the most powerful man in the country. Well ... apart from me."

I narrow my eyes at him, thinking of all the ways I could kill him. 

"Mycroft’s pressure point is his junkie detective brother, Sherlock." He walks back across the room to the sofa. "And Sherlock’s pressure point is his girlfriend, Sara Knightly, and his best friend, John Watson. John Watson’s pressure point is his wife. And lastly Sara's pressure point is, Sherlock and John Watson. ... I own Mycroft," he says and sits down with a smirk,"He’s what I’m getting for Christmas." He holds out his hands to Sherlock. The sociopath slides the laptop to him without bothering to look. 

"It’s an exchange," Sherlock clarifies,"Not a gift."

Magnussen picks up the laptop,"Forgive me, but,” he holds the laptop to his chest and runs his fingers over the back. "I already seem to have it.”

Sherlock stands,"It’s password protected. In return for the password, you will give me any material in your possession pertaining to the woman I know as Mary Watson.”

Magnussen smiles creepily,"Oh, she’s bad, that one. So many dead people. You should see what I’ve seen.”

John clenches his jaw,"I don’t need to see it.”

"You might enjoy it, though. I enjoy it.”

I take a step toward the man but Sherlock grips my arm and stands in front of me. "Then why don’t you show us?” he asks Magnussen nonchalantly.

"Show you Appledore? The secret vaults?” Magnussen questions,"Is that what you want?”

"I want everything you’ve got on Mary.”

Magnussen lets out a short breathy laugh, shaking his head a little,"You know, I honestly expected something good.”

"Oh, I think you’ll find the contents of that laptop …”

"... include a GPS locator,” Magnussen interrupts him with a knowing smile,"By now, your brother will have noticed the theft, and security services will be converging on this house. Having arrived …” he looks down at the laptop,”They’ll find top secret information in my hands, and have every justification to search my vaults. They will discover further information of this kind and I’ll be imprisoned. You will be exonerated, and restored to your smelly little apartment to solve crimes with the little vampire, and Mr and Mrs Psychopath."

My eyes narrow. He knew what Sherlock was planning, he isn’t even the tiniest bit scared. This isn’t right, this is a trap.

Magnussen lifts his glass,"Mycroft has been looking for this opportunity for a long time. He’ll be a very, very proud big brother.” He drinks, emptying the glass.”

Sherlock remains stone faced,"The fact that you know it’s going to happen isn’t going to stop it.”

"Then why am I smiling?” Magnussen looks up at Sherlock and smiles a little. He then stands up slowly,"Let me show you the Appledore vaults.”

He leads us across the room and through the open glass doors of the study. He walks across to the wooden doors at the side of the room and then turns to us, putting a hand on the doors.

"The entrance to my vaults,” he tells us,"This is where I keep you all.” He turns and takes hold of the door handles, then pulls the doors open. 

Nothing. Nothing except for a chair is in the brightly lit white room.

John frowns,”Okay... so where are the vaults, then?”

Magnussen glances back at us,"Vaults? What vaults? There are no vaults beneath this building.” He sits down on the chair, then gestures around the room,"They’re all in here.”

My eyes widen in realization. I look at Sherlock but see him bowing his head in shame.

"The Appledore vaults are my Mind Palace,” Magnussen glances at my boyfriend,"You know about Mind Palaces, don’t you, Sherlock?”

Sherlock swallows but stays quiet.

"How to store information so you never forget it – by picturing it. I just sit here, I close my eyes, and down I go to my vaults."

"So there are no documents,” John notes,"You don’t actually have anything here. …I just, I don’t understand.” 

Magnussen smirks,"You should have that on a T-shirt.”

“You just remember it all?” John questions.

"It’s all about knowledge. Everything is. Knowing is owning.”

"But if you just know it, then you don’t have proof,” I say.

Magnussen turns to me quizzically,"Proof? What would I need proof for? I’m in news, you moron. I don’t have to prove it, I just have to print it.”

I turn to Sherlock only to see him still looking down at his feet, realizing how much he miscalculated.

Magnussen stands,"Speaking of news, you’ll both be heavily featured tomorrow – trying to sell state secrets to me.” He tuts disapprovingly, then looks at his watch. "Let’s go outside. They’ll be here shortly.” He walks out of the room and heads towards the glass doors. "Can’t wait to see you arrested.”

John turns to my boyfriend,"Sherlock, do we have a plan?”

Sherlock is fixed in place, still looking down towards the floor of the white room, his gaze unfocused.

“Sherlock!” I hiss,”We need a plan. We need to do something.”

When Sherlock still doesn’t move, John turns and walks away in a huff. Sherlock shuts his eyes, screwing them closed with a look of despair.

I let out a sigh then grab his hand. He finally looks at me with sorrow filled eyes,”…Sara, I am sorry-“

I shush him and place my hands on his face,”We are going to get through this,” I tell him,”I won’t let him get away with this.”

Sherlock gulps and eventually nods. We then follow John and Magnussen outside to the patio.

“Once we get outside I will knock him out,” I whisper to Sherlock as we walk,”My powers should strengthen once we are out of this house. We will take back the laptop and I will try to get us as far from here as we can before Mycroft arrives.”

He nods silently.

"They’re taking their time, aren’t they?” Magnussen says as he stands outside.

John stops beside him. "I still don’t understand.”

Magnussen looks up at the darkening sky,"And there’s the back of the T-shirt.”

I start to sneak up behind him. John looks at me and I gesture for him to keep talking.

"You just know things,” John asks Magnussen,"How does that work?”

I can already feel my strength starting to return because I am out of the confining Darkwood walls. I am real close to him now, but just as I am about to make the blow… Magnussen quickly turns around and grips my arm.

“Not so fast, Ms.Knightly,” he smirks darkly and then clamps a pair of cuffs around my wrists.

Sherlock and John both start to come to my aid. “Let her go!” Sherlock shouts.

Magnussen pulls me close to him and places his hand around my neck warningly. I feel my strength once again fade to almost nothing.

“Darkwood handcuffs. Wonderful things, aren’t they?” Magnussen asks me.

I growl and struggle in his grip. He suddenly releases me and shoves me toward Sherlock.

“Can’t have you running off and ruining things,” he smiles and then turns to John. "I just love your little soldier face. I’d like to punch it.”

Sherlock steadies me and silently asks if I’m okay. I nod,”I am fine.”

Magnussen then starts to flick John in the face. Sherlock has to hold me back from going to my friend’s aid. “We can’t do anything,” he tells me softly, watching in pain as his best friend is pushed around. “He holds so much power over us.”

I grit my teeth,”There has to be something we can do to stop this monster."

"I could do it all day," Magnussen chuckles as he flicks my friend's face. "It works like this, John. I know who Mary hurt and killed." He flicks his cheek again. "I know where to find people who hate her." He flicks him again, then again. 

John glares back at him, tolerating it only because he has no choice.

"I know where they live; I know their phone numbers," Magnussen flicks him twice more. "All in my Mind Palace – all of it." He flicks again. "I could phone them right now and tear your whole life down – and I will."

I struggle in Sherlock's grip and try to break my chains but to no avail. 

"Sherlock?" John hisses. 

"Let him. I’m sorry," Sherlock's voice is soft and apologetic. "Just ... let him."

The sound of an approaching helicopter can be heard. It soars over the roof and at the same time, armed police marksmen run towards the patio. The helicopter drops down to hover some yards away, its spotlight aimed on us. 

Suddenly Mycroft's voice blares from a speaker on the copter. "Sherlock Holmes, Sara Knightly, and John Watson. Stand away from that man," he warns. 

Magnussen looks over at Sherlock and I,"Here we go, Mr Holmes!"

Sherlock shouts to be heard over the loud helicopter,"To clarify: Appledore’s vaults only exist in your mind, nowhere else, just there."

Magnussen nods with a wide smile,"They’re not real. They never have been."

Sherlock nods, looking down.

"Sherlock Holmes, Sara Knightly, and John Watson. Step away!" Mycroft repeats. 

Magnussen walks forward a couple of steps, waving his hands calmly at the helicopter. "It’s fine! They’re harmless!" He says loudly. 

The armed police continue moving into position, aiming their rifles at us. 

Fear is starting to set in. We can't escape from this, not this time. 

"Sherlock, what do we do?" John looks to his friend for guidance. 

"Nothing!" Magnussen shouts,"There’s nothing to be done! Oh, I’m not a villain. I have no evil plan. I’m a businessman, acquiring assets. You happen to be one of them!"

I glare at Magnussen, wanting so much to rip that smile off his face. 

"Sorry. No chance for you to be a hero this time, Mr Holmes."

Sherlock lifts his head and glares at the man,"Oh, do your research," he snarls. He steps away from and lets go of my arm.  
He steps closer to John, and I spot him reaching into John’s coat pocket, then steps away again and walks forward towards Magnussen. "I’m not a hero ..."

Magnussen turns to look at him.

"... I’m a high-functioning sociopath!" he then pulls out a gun and aims it at Magnussen's head,"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

"SHERLOCK NO!" I scream ...but I'm too late. 

He fires and Magnussen drops to the ground, dead. Sherlock drops the gun to the patio and turns towards the helicopter, raising his hands.

I spot the police aiming their guns at Sherlock now, ready to fire. 

"Get away from me!" Sherlock shouts at John and I,"Stay well back!"

John looks scared and sick almost. "Christ, Sherlock!" He raises his own hands.

"Sherlock, what have you done?!" I shout, raising my cuffed hands. I should have been the one to do this, not him. 

I hear Mycroft shouting frantically,"Stand fire! Do not fire on Sherlock Holmes! Do not fire!"

The marksmen take up positions, aiming their laser sights towards Sherlock.

"Oh, Christ, Sherlock," John moans. 

Sherlock looks round to him,"Give my love to Mary."

John stares at him, his face full of anguish.

"Tell her she’s safe now." Sherlock takes one final look at his best friend and then turns towards the marksmen and the helicopter and begins to sink slowly to his knees. John holds his own hands high, his eyes full of despair. Sherlock kneels on the patio, his hands raised and his face anguished. The beams from the laser sights travel over his face as he stares ahead of himself, knowing that he has done something from which no-one can save him.

In the helicopter, I can see Mycroft starring in equal despair towards his brother.

My eyes start to water. "Sherlock..." I whisper,"What have you done?"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	31. Oh, for God’s sake

Chapter 31:

We stand near a private jet on an empty runway, saying our goodbyes.

After we were arrested Mycroft did all in his power to save his brother. If it wasn’t for him, Sherlock may have gotten a death sentence. Mycroft was able to make a deal with the higher-ups, a punishment for Sherlock that wouldn’t harm him or have him in jail for the rest of his life. He would be banned from ever coming back to England.

John and I argued over this, but there was nothing we could say or do that would allow him to stay. So now it is time for Sherlock to take his leave.

"I am going with him," I tell John with a sad smile,"Someone's got to keep him out of trouble.”

He sighs and nods,”I expected as much. I knew if he couldn’t stay then you would go after him."

"Time to go, Sara," Mycroft tells me. 

I give John and Mary one last hug each before boarding the plane. 

I sit silently next to Sherlock, waiting for the plane to take flight. 

"You don't have to come. I'm not child, you know," Sherlock's baritone voice breaks through the silence. 

I crack a smile and glance at the man sitting next to me,"Are you sure you aren't a child? Because I'm pretty sure you compared yourself to one when John and Mary found out they were pregnant."

“Sara,” he says in a warning tone.

I sigh,"Sherlock, I have lived for centuries and the most fun I have had, has been with you. I love you and will follow you to the ends of the earth if you will have me," I tell him,"I'm done running away."

He studies me with his clear blue eyes,"...And what about when I grow old? What will you do then?"

I look down,"Sherlock, we've been over this before-" 

"I know! And look at what has happened since. I have almost died multiple times!" he grabs my hands,"I know how this sounds, but I am more afraid of losing you than I am afraid of death. I don't care about living for centuries, but if it means I can stay with you longer, then I will do whatever means nessasary."

I stare into his eyes and see only the truth. I know what he says is true... but that is not my concern. Sherlock has an addictive personality. I just don't know how he would handle craving blood. He could become a monster. 

We are now in the air, heading toward our destination. 

I raise my hand to caress his face,"Sherlock..."

Suddenly, his phone starts to ring. He grumbles annoyed and answers the device. 

“What is it?”

'How is the exile going?’ Mycroft’s voice comes from the speaker.

Sherlock scoffs,”We’ve only been gone four minutes.”

'Well, I certainly hope you’ve learned your lesson. As it turns out, you and Sara are needed.’

"Oh, for God’s sake,” I grab the phone,"Make up your mind. Who needs us this time?” I question his brother.

‘England.'

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I have caught up with the seasons so far and I will continue on with the storyline when the new season comes out in January, but for now I am going to go off on my own story arc. Can't keep you guys waiting ;)  
> Also, I'm not one to write lemons or smut (tho I love to read them) But would you guys want any of that? Yay or nay?


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32:

"What do you mean, Moriarty is back?!" I shout at Mycroft as Sherlock and I exit the plane. "He died."

Mycroft just lets out a sigh and gestures for us to come over. He then shows us his phone which has a short, repeating video, of Moriarty's face saying,'Did you miss me?'

I frown,"This could have been made by anyone."

Mycroft nods,"Indeed, but we cannot push this off. If he is truly back, then we have a big problem on our hands."

John walks over and pulls me into a hug,"What matters, is that you and Sherlock can stay."

"For now," Mycroft interjects,"Once this threat has been dealt with, you both will be back on that plane."

~

Time skip:

With the news of Moriarty's message, we then retired back to the flat on Baker street to figure out what is going on. That was weeks ago and we have had no such luck. If Moriarty truly is alive, then he is keeping his head down and staying quiet. We have no leads, nothing to go on except for that one message. In all honesty, I think this is just some copy cat. They either want to just mess with us, or they are using Moriarty's name to throw us off their trail. 

Oh, and the vampire murders have started up again. We started this case way back when I first joined up with John and Sherlock, but the killer went into hiding and we lost his trail. Now he has started killing again and we are determined to catch him this time. 

"The killings have started up again, and now Moriarty is back. You don't think they are connected, do you?" John questions Mycroft who sits in our flat. 

"I very well hope not. If Moriarty has vampires working for him then he is even more powerful than we once thought. He would be an even greater threat to all of England," the elder Holmes sighs,"We need to get this under control. For now we will assume Moriarty has no connection to these murders. You three will focus on finding the culprit and bringing him down. Moriarty will be dealt with later."

Sherlock narrows his eyes at his brother,"And why would we listen to you?"

Mycroft lips lift in a condescending smirk,"Because we have no leads on Moriarty, you would be wasting your time on him now. Also, I have Sara to keep you on track."

I glance at Sherlock,"He is right. This murderer should be our focus right now. Moriarty can wait."

Sherlock huffs but stays quiet. I roll my eyes,'It is like I am dating a teenager.'

Mycroft stands,"Well, I won’t hold you. You three have work to do." John walks him out while I move toward the large map on the table that has every killing by the murderer marked on it. 

"There are no patterns to these killings, completely random," I murmur,"It will be hard to track him. We will just have to wait for him to make a mistake."

John comes back and clears his throat,"Well, just a thought, but would it not be helpful to ask the man who found the murderer the last time to join us?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Sherlock shouts,"I will not work with him!"

"Well, I am not overly fond of you either at the moment," a familiar voice says,"But I am willing to put our petty bickering aside because lives are at stake."

I turn and see Tom standing in the doorway. He smiles softly at me,"Hello, Sara."

I nod,"Tom."

Sherlock glares at his older brother and comes to stand beside me in a possessive manner. 

"Mycroft sent me to help," Tom tells us. 

"We don't need-"

"Yes, we do," I interrupt Sherlock,"We need all the help we can get, especially someone with powers like mine."

Sherlock gives me a look of betrayal then he turns and walks to his room, slamming the door behind him. 

I close my eyes and let out a groan. 

"He hasn't changed much," Tom comments,"Still has tantrums like a child." 

John chuckles,"Has one everyday it seems like. Try living with him."

I roll my eyes at them and make my way to Sherlock's room. 

Closing the door behind me, I spot Sherlock laying on his bed, hands steepled under his chin. 

I let out a sigh and take a seat next to him, running my hand through his curly locks. 

"Stop," his deep voice rumbles. 

I ignore him and continue massaging his scalp. 

His eyes snap open and he glares at me,"Stop it! You know i can't concentrate when you do that," he hisses. 

I smirk,"Because you love it."

He narrows his eyes,"Maybe so, but I cannot think when you do this. It makes me..."

"Relaxed for once?"

He gives up arguing and closes his eyes again. 

I hate to see him so stressed and I know seeing Tom really puts him on edge. Being able to relax him even a little bit makes me feel a lot better. 

Soon he is asleep, so I leave him and walk back into the living room. John has went to bed so it is just Tom and I. 

I clap my hands together,"Okay, the baby has been put to sleep so let’s get on with the investigation."

Tom chuckles and follows me out the window. 

~

“…So, how have you been?” Tom asks as we walk through the darkened streets of London. “Mycroft gave me an update on the Magnussen situation… he told me what Sherlock did.”

I let out a sigh,”I wish it had been me to kill him. Sherlock should not have had the burden. As strange as he is, Sherlock is no killer. This will weigh on him like it would any other.”

“That may be true, but Sherlock is strong. He will get past it.”

“I hope so,” I whisper.

As we walk I feel Tom’s eyes on me. I turn to him with an eyebrow raised,”Yes?”

“…Are you and Sherlock-“ he pauses and then grabs my arm to stop me from walking,”…Are you two together?"

I gulp then slowly look up at him,”Yes, we are.”

“Do you love him?”

I nod,”I do,” I gaze into his saddened eyes,”I never planned for this to happen, Tom. I care about you and I want you in my life, so I just hope we can get past this and continue being friends.”

He raises his hand to my cheek,”I care about you so much…” he pauses,”... and that is why I cannot promise that I will get past this.”

I frown and try to back up but he wraps his other arm around me and pulls me in close. His eyes now filled with determination,”I will not roll over and watch as my brother claims you!” he all but growls,”I will fight for you, that I can promise.” He leans in and I’m afraid he will kiss me, but I only feel his lips ghost my cheek before he releases me.

“Let’s continue searching,” he turns away and starts walking,”The sun will rise soon.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	33. Dreams

Chapter 33:

“Did you find anything?” John asks as Tom and I enter the flat after a long night of searching for the killer.

Tom shakes his head and falls onto the couch with a sigh. I walk into the kitchen to get some blood.

“Where is Sherlock?” I ask as I peer into the fridge.

“Went out, didn’t say where,” John tells me.

I roll my eyes,”Of course,” I grumble as I look behind a jar of human eyeballs. “Tom, are you thirsty?”

“I could drink," comes his reply with a soft chuckle.

I find the pitcher of blood and pour two glasses before bringing them back to the living room.

“Thank you, love,” Tom says with a sweet smile as I hand him his glass.

I take a seat next to Tom,"When did Sherlock leave?"

John sips from his morning tea,"An hour or so ago. I was surprised to see him gone before the sun rose."

I suddenly hear footsteps from outside the flat. I look towards the door,"Seems Sherlock is home."

A few minutes later the man himself stumbles into the flat. 

"Where have you been?" John questions from his chair. 

I lower my glass and take in Sherlock's appearance. He is breathing hard and leaning against the doorframe, hugging his right arm close to his chest. 

"Sherlock?" I dart towards him once I smell the scent of blood coming from him,"What happened?!"

Tom and I help him to the couch. "Sherlock, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" John questions and strides over to check our friend for wounds. 

I open Sherlock's coat and zero in on the scent of blood. Crimson stains cover his white dress shirt. Ripping open his already ruined shirt, I gasp at the large wound he has. 

"He's been stabbed, multiple lacerations to the abdomen, and a broken arm," John goes right into doctor mode as he examines Sherlock. "It looks deep, he needs a hospital now!"

"Not...enough time," Sherlock gasps in pain. 

I gulp,"He is right. It'll take at least three minutes with just Tom and mine's vampiric speed, but the effect on his body from the force...he won't make it."

John holds a cloth to Sherlock's wound and turns to me with fear in his eyes,"Sara, what do we do?"

I look to Tom for guidance, but he seems to be in shock of his brother dying in front of him. 

"...Turn me."

I blink and snap my head to Sherlock,"What?"

He grits his teeth, his breathing becoming more labored,"...Turn...me. It is...the only way."

He is right... but will the consequences be? Will he turn out like Tom, unfit for this kind of life? Will he become a blood crazed murderer?

He suddenly grips my arm tightly and stares into my eyes,"Turn me now!" he shouts with the last of his energy before passing out. 

I've made up my mind. 

Quickly rolling up my sleeve, i then bite into my wrist and place my wound over Sherlock's mouth. Squeezing what blood I can manage into his mouth. 

"S-sara, what are you doing?!" John questions with wide eyes. 

Tom stares at me as well,"I don't think this is a smart idea."

"I'm saving him!" I snap,"I don't care if it is stupid, I cannot just let him die!"

I release Sherlock and stand back with a heavy sigh.

“How long will it take?” John asks.

“It is different for everyone,” Tom tells him,”May take an hour or an entire day. All we can do is wait.”

~

Sherlock’s POV:

'Where am I?'

I am standing in an empty, dark room. It’s cold, my breath comes out in puffs before me.

“Hello?” I call out, only for my echo to answer me,

I walk around the small room, only to realize there are no doors or windows. I start to pound on the walls, trying to find an exit.

“Sherlockkk,” a faint voice calls.

I spin around and shout,”Who’s there?!”

“She does not love you.”

I turn around again and find my older brother, Tom, in front of me. His eyes are blood red and fangs dawn his mouth. “She is bored,” he continues,”She is only using you for her own entertainment.”

“Your lying!” I growl.

“Oh, Sherlock,” Mycroft appears on my left. ”Love will only tear you down.” 

“She is dangerous,” John materializes on my right. “Sara has killed people before, she will do it again.”

“She is going to snap one day,” Mycroft tells me,”And now you are part of it.”

I frown,”What do you mean?”

Tom cocks his head to the side and smiles,”You are one of us now, Sherlock. A creature of the night, blood sucker, human killer.”

I let out a gasp as I feel intense pain spreading throughout my body. Falling to my knees, I clutch my chest.

In front of me I see a dark figure. As he walks closer, I recognize him instantly. A monster that still haunts me every night.

“Who will your first kill be, hmm Sherlock? Tell me,” Moriarty smiles at me mockingly, standing in a dark tailored suit before me. 

“No one!” I growl, gritting my teeth at the pain.

“Really? Do you even believe that? Because I think we both know that someone like you cannot stay in the light forever. The darkness is always waiting, and it has been growing in you,” Moriarty drifts closer,”It started when you killed me, then you killed that newspaper man, what was his name? Magnussen?” he kneels in front of me and grips my head, forcing me to look at him,”Your hands are bloodied, you are unclean, and there is no going back.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and let out a roar,”NOOO!”

Silence fills my ears and the pain in my body fades. I slowly blink open my eyes.

Red. It covers the ground and walls around me. 

My eyes widen as i see the bodies of Mycroft, John, Mrs.Hudson, and Lestrade littering the floor. Looking down at myself, I notice that I am drenched in crimson and a bloodied blade is in my hand.

I turn to my left as I feel hand grab my shoulder. Sara stands there with a smile on her face, crimson eyes glinting in the dim lighting of the room. 

“I love you,” she whispers.

“I love you too,” a voice that isn't mine says.

I gulp as I see Tom walk to my girlfriend. Sara glances down at me and smirks, then turns to Tom and pulls him in for a kiss. 

My grip on the knife tightens. They pull apart and Sara kneels in front of me,”Goodbye, Sherlock.” She raises a knife of her own and thrusts it into my chest.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	34. It happened

Chapter 34:

Sara’s POV:

Sherlock wakes suddenly with a gasp and shoots up off of the couch. I run to his side and lay my hand on his shoulder, he flinches and stares at me with crimson eyes.

I frown,”Sherlock, how are you feeling?” I ask him softly.

His chest is moving fast as he hyperventilates,”S-stay back!” he falls off of the couch and scuttles back into a corner of the room.

John and Tom rush into the room, but I stop them,”Wait. He is unused to the elevated senses of a vampire. Take it slow, and try not to spook him."

Sherlock looks around the room almost fearfully, then squeezes his eyes shut and grips his head. "So many sounds, scents..." he then shouts,"I can't THINK!" 

I slowly approach him,"Yes, that is how it will be for a week or so. It is only temporary," I try to calm him down but fail to do so.

"And this beating noise!" Sherlock exclaims through gritted teeth as he stands, starting to pace,"It is as if I can feel the blood pumping through everyone around me. It is all I can think about!" He suddenly punches his fist through the wall in frustration. 

Mrs.Hudson enters the flat with a shocked look on her face. "Sherlock! What have you done to my wall?!"

"NOT NOW, MRS.HUDSON!" he shouts at her, causing her to leave rather quickly. 

John gives him a look of disappointment which Sherlock ignores, choosing to focus his glare on me. 

His new blood red eyes burning into mine. "You!" he snarls, striding toward me. "You have ruined me!”

"You would have died!" John tells him. 

Sherlock ignores him still and grips my shirt, pulling me roughly to his chest. "You have ruined my mind!" He growls,"All I can think about is killing everyone in this building and drinking them dry!"

I gulp, starting to rethink my decision to turn him. 

Tom darts into the kitchen and returns with a blood bag. "This will take off the edge," he tells his brother. 

Sherlock catches scent of the blood and quickly snatches the bag from his hand and flits to his room.

Once he is out of sight, we all breath a sigh of relief. 

I run my hand through my hair and take a seat in Sherlock's chair. 

John sits in front of me in his chair. "....Don't listen to him," he tells me,"Sherlock is just confused and in shock. He doesn't mean it."

I crack a weak smile,"It's Sherlock, you learn to not take to heart a lot of the shit he says."

I had a feeling Sherlock might react this way, but it still hurt to see him blame me. This was the only way to save him… at least that is what I tell myself.

I watch Tom from across the room, feeling much the same as I did when I turned him all those years ago. No human is fit to be a vampire, it is a curse and a terrible thing to pin upon someone. I did this to them.

~

I knock lightly on the door. “Sherlock?” I call. It is almost three in the morning, Sherlock has been in his room since five.

I slowly open the door and find Sherlock curled up on his bed, eyes shuts, hands covering his ears.

“...Oh, Sherlock,” I sigh and walk to him. I sit beside him on the bed. “You cannot go through this alone,” I tell him,”I did and it was an awful experience. John, Tom, and I are here to help you.”

“I don’t need help,” he growls.

I let out a frustrated sigh and grab his hands from his ears, pinning him down on the bed so he has to pay attention to me. “You do, so stop trying to do the lone wolf thing you always do!”

He glares up at me,”Why not go back to Tom? He is the one you love, isn’t he?” he snarls.

I frown confused,”What are you taking about? I love you, Sherlock. Why can't you just accept that? Tom is my friend, nothing more!"

His eyes soften and return to their natural blue color. He closes his eyes and finally gives in,"...Help me."

I smile softly and release his arms, moving to sit beside him. "Okay, first thing is to focus your mind. Meditation is the most effective way for newly turned vamps to focus," I explain,"Close your eyes and try to shut out everything but your own thoughts. Forget about all the sounds, scents, just focus on your breathing and go into your mind palace."

He takes in a deep breath and steeples his hands under his chin. His brow wrinkles as he tries to concentrate. 

"Relax," I whisper as I smooth down his brow with my fingers, then running my hands through his curly locks. 

His breathing evens and he relaxes fully. I eventually stop stroking and lay back next to him. 

We lay together for hours, just relaxing in the silence. 

"Do vampires sleep?" his deep voice breaks me from my meditation state. 

I don't bother to open my eyes,"We do. You have seen me sleep before," i remind him.

He hums in acknowledgement. 

I smile softly,"We need less sleep than humans, though I like to indulge in it more than others. I see it as a luxury," I open one eye and glance at him,"Though I am sure you would stay awake indefinently if you could."

His lips curve in a smirk,"You would be correct. That is an experiment I will have to conduct," his eyes snap open,"There are so many experiments I can do now!" he says excitedly. 

I giggle,"All the things Tom and I wouldn't let you do on us."

We lay in silence once more. 

"...Sherlock?"

"Yes?"

I roll on my side to look at him,"Who hurt you? Where did you go off to when Tom and I went out looking for the murderer?"

He stares up at the ceiling,"I couldn’t just sit and wait for the killer to do something, so I went to my contacts and tried to get information. I was led into a trap and next thing I know, I was stabbed. I was able to stanch the blood long enough to make it back here.”

I let out a sigh and rub my face,”You should have gone straight to the hospital.”

“I would have rather seen you one last time then have a chance of dying and not seeing you ever again.”

I am stunned into silence by his words.

“I also assumed if my wound was truly life threatening then you would be able to save me by turning me into a vampire. I was right.”

I roll my eyes and punch his shoulder.

He merely smirks and closes his eyes,”Think on the bright side, now you have another vampire to help with the search for the murderer.”

Sherlock as a vampire, I can’t believe it actually happened. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	35. He can be sweet

Chapter 35:

Sara's POV:

It has been a week since I turned Sherlock into a vampire and it has been a mad house at 221b ever since. Sherlock has yet to get control of his powers, which is usual for a newbie vampire. It will take him years to fully master them, but Tom and I will be there to help. 

~

I merely sit back and watch as Sherlock darts around the flat with superhuman speed as he looks for something. 

The flat door opens and John walks in. He pauses in the doorway then blinks slowly,"...I'm going to be sick if he keeps moving about like that."

I giggle and stand up to greet my hedgehog friend. "How is Mary and the baby?"

He smiles at me,"Good. Very good actually. We-"

Sherlock suddenly appears between us. "Hello, John. How is Mary? Never mind, I need help on a case," he then darts back over by the desk and continues to rifle through a stack of books. 

John glances at me with his eyebrows raised,"How long has he been like this?"

"About a week," I tell him with a soft smile as I watch my boyfriend zoom around,"I find it amusing to watch."

John chuckles,"He is like a kid hopped up on caffeine. Are new vampires always like this?"

I shrug,"Sometimes. Most do enjoy the super speed ability, but this is Sherlock we are talking about. Everything is overboard with him. But I expected this might happen," I then frown and cross my arms,"I am worried though."

"About?"

"Being in public," I glance at John,"He rarely held himself back when he was human, and was very impulsive. Now all of that is times ten. I cannot have him darting around and blowing our secret."

John nods,"Well, good luck with that."

I glare at him,"Thanks," I grumble before walking to see what Sherlock is working on. 

He is flipping through papers and scouring the internet all at once. I look over his shoulder at the computer screen,"Any leads?"

"No!" he hisses while continuing to search,"New bodies are being found all over and I can't find one trace of the killer!" he snarls, and slams a book down on the desk with so much force that the desk gives way and crashes to the floor. 

I quickly grab the laptop off the desk before it can take a dive as well. 

I hear John sigh in the background,"Another trip to the furniture store." He grabs his coat and leaves the flat. 

Sherlock gives me a frustrated look,"I am no help here. I need to get out and search for clues, examine the crime scenes for anything the Yard missed."

I sigh,"Sherlock, you know it is too soon for you to go out," I tell him,"You can barely stand to be in the same room as John, if you go out now you have a high chance of killing someone."

He looks like he wants to argue so I speak up again. "Tom is out searching for the killer, if he finds something he will contact us. You know he can handle this."

"Do I?" He questions, his eyes turning red,"Because I haven't seen him in decades! I don't know him-"

"Then why don't you try to," I tell him. 

He pauses, his red eyes toning back to their original bright blue color. 

"I know that you two are practiaclly strangers to each other, but he is still your brother. He is the same man you grew up with," I tell him softly,"Try and get to know who he is now. He has matured but he is still the same man from all those years ago. I know you and Mycroft don't have much of a brotherly bond-"

"That is putting it mildly," Sherlock mutters under his breath. 

I continue,"But you and Tom did share a bond once. Try to regain what you had," I smirk,"Maybe the two of you will become the world's first vampire, brother, detective duo."

He snorts and rolls his eyes,"You fantasize far too much, Sara."

I glance around the messy room,"And you talk to much. How about we meditate?" I ask with a smile. 

He lets out a sigh but nods anyhow. We retire to his room and take our places on his bed. I sit across from him, both of us with our legs crossed. 

I close my eyes and breath in deeply,"Now, relax..."

After a moment of silence I am suddenly broken from my meditation by a warm pair of lips on my own. I snap my eyes open and see Sherlock's face backing away, looking a bit red. 

He looks down at the bed spread,"...I know I am not good with...emotions. But, I wanted to thank you."

I frown,"For what?"

He lifts his gaze to mine,"For saving me. I know turning me was not what you wanted, but I am grateful even though it may not seem like it." He slowly takes my hands in his,"I look forward to spending a long time with you. Maybe, in time, I will get this relationship thing right."

I smile and pull him in for another kiss. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	36. Gross

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The new Sherlock season comes on tonight! I cannot wait!

Chapter 36:

Sara's POV:

'We need Sherlock.'

I frown at my phone,”Well hello to you to, Greg. I’m fine by the way.”

'I’m sorry, Sara,' he apologizes with a sigh,'But we really need him. He hasn’t been answering his phone and neither has John.'

I bite my lip,"H-he is a bit indisposed at the moment. Sorry, I will have to get back to you later," I quickly end the call and breath a sigh of relief. 

“Who was that?”

I spin around and see Sherlock standing in the doorway with a cup of tea in hand. 

I shrug my shoulders,”Just a telemarketer.” 

He stares at me a moment before nodding and walking to his room. 

I let out a sigh of relief. It has been hell trying to keep Sherlock indoors. He is a sneaky little bastard. 

I am doing this to protect him and everyone around him. Sherlock is dangerous, the last thing we need is another killer running amok through London. John has been helping as much as he can, but with Mary getting closer to having her baby he has less time to spend with us. Tom has been a great help, doing all the outside work while I am stuck babysitting the sociopath. But alas, he has come up with nothing new on the murderer. 

Twenty people have been killed in the last month, this is getting out of control. We have no leads, and there has been no signs of Moriarty. We are all at a loss. 

~

The door to the flat slams open and in walks Greg Lestrade. "Where is he?” he demands. 

Before I can answer, Sherlock comes striding out of his room. His face lights up when he sees Greg,”Did someone die?”

Greg frowns for a moment but nods,”Yes, and we need your help.”

Sherlock jumps up and claps his hands,”Yes! Finally!”

My eyes widen,”No, he can’t! He-“

Sherlock rushes to his room to change, a bit too fast I should add. Greg blinks, staring at Sherlock’s closed door,”…I-I thought you said he was unwell?” he looks to me,”He seems more than fine.”

I gulp,”...He is feeling better I guess,” I answer lamely. 

Greg nods. 

"We will meet you there," I tell him,"Text me the address.”

He nods and leaves. 

Sherlock exits his room, but I stop him before he can follow after Greg. 

”What are you waiting for? Let’s go," he says impatiently. 

”We need to talk.”

He sighs dramatically and looks at me, bouncing on his feet anxiously. “About?”

I grit my teeth,”Sherlock, this is a bad idea. You are in no way close to controlling your powers. You almost exposed yourself to Greg!”

He frowns,”Greg?”

I let out a exasperated sigh,”Lestrade! The man that was just in this room!” I close my eyes and calm myself,”You can’t go around using your vampiric speed. Anderson will sniff you out in a second, you know how he is."

"Anderson doesn't have the mental capacity to comprehend what we are," he scoffs. 

“Maybe, but he is the leader of your fucking fan club. He will notice if you are acting differently.”

He rolls his eyes,”I’m not a child, Sara. I know how to keep a secret. But if I don’t get out of this room I will go insane!”

I run my hand through my hair and let out another sigh,”Fine. Let’s go.”

This man is going to give me grey hair. 

~

We make it into a cab without issue and ride in silence to our destination. 

Sherlock is looking outside, I can see that his mind is deducing practically every he sees in order to distract himself. He is trying to keep his gaze from the cabby driver, with great difficulty it seems. I gently lay my hand on his gloved one. He glances at me with slightly red eyes. 

"It will take awhile to get used to being near humans," I tell him softly,"Meditating will take the edge off."

He nods and squeezes his eyes shut, trying to block out the loud thumping of the cabby's heart. 

The cab slows and comes to a stop just outside an apartment building. Cop cars litter the street outside with policemen milling out in front of the building. 

Sherlock practically leaps out of the cab when we stop. Greg is standing with the other policemen out front, excusing himself from their conversation when he sees Sherlock and I. 

"The body-"

Sherlock darts past the man and rushes into the building, most likely following the strong scent of blood. 

Greg frowns after him,"...Is upstairs."

I smile tightly and pat him on the shoulder,"He is a bit excited as you can tell."

He nods, still looking at where my boyfriend disappeared to so fast. 

I pass under the crime tape and quickly follow after Sherlock, not wanting to get into a spat with that bitch Donovan. 

This was not a good idea. I need someone to help me keep track of this man. 

With that thought, I pull out my phone and make a quick phone call. 

Sherlock is standing over a body in one of the flats when I find him. Blood is everywhere! The body lays in the center of the almost bare room and is hardly recognizable as it has been torn to shreds. 

Sherlock crouches and examines what is left of the body, quickly moving clue to clue around the room. 

Anderson is standing by the doorway, jaw slack as he watches Sherlock work. 

I quickly move in front of him to block his view of Sherlock. "How are you?" I ask sweetly,"This case is a doozy, am I right?" 

He tries to peer around me,"...Yes," he answers distractibly,"Is Sherlock...alright?"

I block his view again and nod,"Of course. He is just very excited is all."

Sherlock suddenly appears next to us,"Leave, Anderson. I can't work with you in here."

Anderson stumbles back with a gasp, staring at Sherlock with wide eyes,"H-how did you get there?!" he demands,"You were just across the room!"

My eyes widen and i quickly step toward him,"You are mistaking," I rush forward and put my hand to his forehead,"Are you feeling well? You are looking a bit green. How about I take you downstairs-"

He pushes me away and points at Sherlock who has gone back to examining the body. "There is something different about you! What is going on-"

"Oh, pardon me. It seems that my dear younger brother has had a bit too much caffeine today," a soothing voice says from the doorway,"Now, you don't look good at all, do you?" 

I breath in relief as Tom walks into the room. He steps towards Anderson and frowns,"Sara is right, you are looking green. Here, this should help," he then raises a damp cloth to Anderson's face and holds him still by pinning him against the wall. 

Anderson struggles a bit then his body goes slack. Tom gently lays him on the ground and stuffs the cloth back into his pocket. 

I raise an eyebrow,"Is that what I think it is?"

Tom stands and sends me a wink,"I always carry chloroform in my pocket."

"WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Greg shouts as he enters the room and sees Anderson passed out on the floor. 

"He became light headed and passed out from all this blood I presume," Tom tells him. 

Greg crouches by Anderson to check his breathing then stands and frowns at Tom,"Who the hell are you?!"

Tom smiles charmingly and holds out his hand,"Thomas Holmes, doctor, detective, a jack of trades really."

Greg's jaw drops and he looks across the room at Sherlock,"Y-you have another brother?!"

Sherlock ignores him though, kneeling on the floor by the shredded body with his face turned away from us. 

"Take care of him," I whisper to Tom as I stride to Sherlock. 

While Tom keeps Greg busy, I kneel in front of Sherlock and see him licking the blood from his hands. 

"Oh, Sherlock," I sigh and swat his hands away from his mouth like a mother would do to a child eating dirt,"That has been on the floor, gross."

I grab his arms and help him stand, quickly wiping the blood from his face and hands with a handkerchief I always have on me in cases of a messy dinner. 

He squeezes his eyes shut,"I'm sorry," he apologizes,"T-the smell became too much for me to bare."

I rub his back,"I know. Let's get back to the flat so you can feed."

We turn to the door and Sherlock pauses with a frown on his face,"Why is Anderson on the floor?" His eyes start to turn red when he sees Tom laughing with Greg by the doorway. "And why is my brother here?!" he hisses. 

I grip his arm to hold him back from attacking Tom,"I needed his help. You aren't very easy to control since you became a vampire. I have been doing this all by myself and I realized that I can't anymore."

His eyes fade to blue and he frowns down at me,"...I did not take into account how this was affecting you," he murmurs. 

I smile softly,"You never do. Now, let's get back to the flat."

He nods and we approach Tom and Greg. 

"I wish I had met you sooner," Greg says to Tom with a wide smile on his face,"We could use you on the force."

Tom shakes his head, smiling modestly,"Oh no. Like my brother, I prefer to work outside the police."

"Too bad. Well, hopefully you will continue to help with cases to come."

"Yes, of course."

They shake hands and Tom joins Sherlock and I. We hail a cab and all pile in, me in the middle of course. An uncomfortable silence fills the air as we make our way back to 221b. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	37. Of course!

Chapter 37:

Sara's POV:

We are currently in a cab on our way back to Baker street. A dead silence fills the car.

Tom clears his throat,"Did you find anything?" He asks his brother. 

Sherlock doesn't look like he is going to answer so I elbow him hard in the side. He grits his teeth in pain and sends me a glare before speaking. "Nothing new, except for the mangled body. It was torn apart, shredded, much different compared to the others which had minimal damage other than their throats being ripped out."

I put my hand to my chin, thinking. "We had assumed the murderer was a ripper from the start."

Tom nods,"One that was in the early stages. He still has coherent thought, and maybe even a reason."

I turn to him,"Reason? You think he has a meaning for all of these murders?"

Tom looks out the window of the cab we are in, deep in thought,"At first the killings seemed like the usual work of a vampire losing his mind... but for this to have gone on for so long, there must be a plan of some kind. ...Unless this is a different killer from the one we first were hunting."

Sherlock suddenly gasps. I turn to him and see his hands steepled under his chin, his eyes wide. "Of course! A different killer!"

The cab stops outside 221b and Sherlock rushes out and into the building. Tom and I follow after paying the cabby. 

"Is this a copycat then?" I question as we enter the flat. 

Sherlock is sitting at the new desk John recently bought and is typing away at his computer. 

“I don’t think so,” Tom hums, his hand on his chin as he paces around the room,”It can’t be a coincidence with Moriarty’s return, and the loss of blood from the victims was never made public. No, this vampire was recently turned into a ripper. The other would have long been dead, no vampire can be cured after they turn ripper. They only last a few months after the first stages occur, then they eventually go insane.”

“You right. We had just assumed that the ripper was able to keep the cravings at bay when he disappeared,” I murmur. 

“What kills them in the end?” Sherlock questions, pausing his typing.

“They will die of dehydration actually,” Tom explains,"This happens much in the same way as it does with rabies. The victim will physically not be able to eat or drink for fear of drowning,” he explains,”Before the time of death, they often leave dead bodies still containing their blood. They will kill even though they cannot feed anymore. Most are found dead in pools of their victims blood.”

Sherlock stares at his computer in silence, completely still for once.

“So we know this isn’t the same vampire, but that doesn’t help us,” I say with a frown,”In fact, it makes this situation worse. That means that Moriarty, or someone else, is indeed behind these ripper attacks. We do not know who or what is behind this, and that is very worrying.”

Tom nods,”Your right. We still cannot track the ripper, and we have no leads as to who is behind this.”

Sherlock has a brooding look,”…If this is Moriarty, he would have made himself known by now. He likes to play games, he does not wait and watch us fail.”

“So you think this isn’t Moriarty?”

He shakes his head,”I don’t know for certain, but if it is, it's very unlike him. What we do know is that this is not just a vampire turned ripper, the odds of that happening only a few years after the first attacks are almost none. Rippers are rare, yes?"

I cross my arms and nod. 

He is right. This is no coincidence, someone is doing this on purpose and is using the ripper as a facade. Everything about this case feels wrong. If this is Moriarty, he is acting out of character and that is very worrisome. 

The door to the flat opens and in walks John. He sends Tom and I a smile and sheds his coat. "How is the case going?" 

"Awful." We all answer. 

John nods and walks to his seat with a smile,"Good, then I haven't missed much." He sits and I proceed to fill him in on our latest thoughts. 

Sherlock meanwhile goes back to impatiently flitting around the room, searching for any clue we could have possibly missed. 

John rests his chin on his hand,"...So this ripper, he is slowly going insane? And Moriarty may be behind it?"

I nod. 

"Then shouldn't we be search for an insane person?"

I frown,"What do you mean?"

He clears his throat,"Well, so far you haven't been able to track him because his movements are too random. That could be strategy, but it would also make sense to assume that a person losing their sanity would become more and more daring. Moriarty is also unpredictable, but he should be getting bored soon," he stands and walks over to the map of london which has all the victims place of death marked on it. "Which are the newer killings?"

Tom walks over and points them out. John nods. "Have you noticed these are centered around more public areas?"

Sherlock appears next to them, causing John to jump back in fright. 

"Of course!" Sherlock exclaims as he stares at the map,"When the murders started they were often bodies taken to deserted buildings, now they are being found in common apartments, even public buildings."

"As he loses his mind he becomes less caring of hiding the bodies," Tom joins in,"He will only become more reckless."

"Or he is trying to get our attention," Sherlock murmurs. 

"Well, now we have somewhere to look," I say as I walk to the map,"If we focus on more populated areas it should be easier to locate him and anticipate his movements, maybe stop him before he kills again."

Sherlock turns to me,"Call up Lestrade, tell him everything. He needs to dispatch officers to these areas and then get back to me once he finds something."

I nod pull out my phone to make the call. 

I spot Tom patting John on the back with a wide smile,"Well done, Watson. We might make a detective out of you yet."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I just watched the newest Sherlock episode and holy shit! Like omfg I don't know how to feel right now. I am mad, sad, and all of the above. Really mad about Sherrinford though...if that really was Sherrinford, I think it was but after reading some things online I am unsure.  I won't give any spoilers but if you haven't watched it then you need to go and see it like right now!
> 
> I cannot wait for the season finale!


	38. Trouble with clocks

Chapter 38:

3rd person POV:

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" Greg Lestrade's jaw drops as he looks up at the large clock tower known as the Big Ben. On the clock face there is a body speared through one of the clock hands.

"How is the world did they get the body up there?!" Donovan shouts as she exits their cop car.

Lestrade shakes his head and looks around, seeing all the horrorstricken faces of the civilians surrounding the area. "I don't know, but we need get it down as soon as possible. I'm calling him."

Donovan doesn't argue for once, knowing this isn't the time or place to. They really do need him.

~

"Jesus!" John exclaims when he sees the body.

Sherlock glances up at the building, using a hood to shield his face from the rays of the unusually sunny day. "If we wait any longer the body will fall and any evidence on the body will be lost. We have approximently twenty minutes before that happens."

Sara nods,"Tom and I will get it down," She turns to Greg,"I need you to remove all civilians from the immediate area and confiscate any cameras. We cannot have them posting pictures all over the internet."

Greg pauses,"Wait, how are you going to get it down?"

Sara smiles,"I thought by now you would have learned to trust what I tell you. I am still waiting to see you eat your tie."

Greg rolls his eyes and leaves to do as she ordered. Sara pulls on her hood to make it cover her face more then she trots into the building, typing on her phone as she goes.

John gets a text a minute later.

Sara: Keep an eye on Sherlock and don't hesitate to call me if he does something with his powers.

"Who is that?" Sherlock questions, having heard John's phone beep.

"Mary," John lies smoothly as he tucks his phone back into his pocket,"Just checking up on me."

Sherlock narrows his eyes at him for a moment before nodding. He starts walking toward Westminster palace where the Big Ben is connected to. "Let's get out of the sun."

~

Tom meets Sara at the top of the clock tower. They exit through a window and make their way onto the balcony directly above the large clock face. The body is still stuck on the longest hand but has started to slip down it every time the clock hand moves.

"How much weight do you think the clock hand can hold?" Sara asks Tom as she studies the clock from above.

"Not much. I'm surprised it didn't break when the body was dropped onto it," he answers.

Sara lets out a sigh,"Wonderful." She purses her lips then steps up onto the railing,"I will climb down to it and grab the body, I need you to climb down and grab hold of the clock hand to keep it from moving while I pry the body off of it."

Tom nods.

"And make sure to keep your hood over your face," Sara reminds him,"I told Greg to remove as many civilians as he could, but there will probably still be a few that might get a picture of us removing the body. We cannot have the public knowing it is us."

With that they both climb over the railing, digging their nails into the clock face as they scale their way down to the body.

~

"He did this in broad daylight. He is becoming more careless where he leaves the bodies," Greg says with a frown.

Sherlock paces throughout the room they are conversing in,"Did anyone see any suspicious character? Anything on surveillance?"

Donovan shakes her head,"The tapes were tampered with, everything from today was erased."

"Damn!" Sherlock hisses, his eyes starting to tinge red.

John clears his throat and walks to his friend,"Calm down. The killer would be wearing a hood, correct?"

Sherlock nods.

"Well then maybe there will be footage from a nearby street camera. On a day like this it would be rather odd to be wearing a hood."

Sherlock's eyes light up,"You right."

"What is it?" Lestrade pipes up, having not heard their quiet conversation.

"I need you to search the nearby traffic cams," Sherlock orders,"Look for anyone wearing a hood or something covering their face from the sun."

Greg looks a bit confused but nods anyhow and goes to do as ordered.

Donovan looks suspicious,"What aren't you telling us?" she questions the sociopath.

"Something your tiny brain could not hope to comprehend," the man mutters as he looks over the file Lestrade gave him.

"You think you are so smart, don't you?!" Donovan spits.

"Yes, actually."

John sighs,"Sara, please hurry," he mutters under his breath.

"Things were going fine before you came back from the dead. You are the cause of all of this," Donovan accuses.

Sherlock glares at her,"Maybe, but I will be the one to stop it. I will solve the case and stop the murderer."

~

'Sherlock and agent Donovan are having a bit of a domestic. It's getting rather heated.'

"Oh for gods sake," Sara lets out a frustrated sigh,"Well I'm a bit busy at the moment."

She and Tom are currently hanging off the side of the tall clock tower, trying to pry the body from the clock hand.

"Sara?" Tom calls out from his position of a couple feet away.

She ignores him and places her phone in her pocket on speaker and proceeds to pull on the body to get it free. It was more stuck then she had expected.

'His eyes are turning red.'

"J-just grab the thermos of blood I brought and give it to him," Sara grunts as she yanks on the body,"It should be with the bag I brought."

"Sara!" Tom calls out again, with more urgency this time.

'Where is the bag? I don't see it.'

"It is by the-"

"Sara!"

"What?!" She snaps.

Tom grits his teeth as he holds onto the clock hand to stop it from moving,"I-I can feel the hand-"

Suddenly the clock hand breaks and drops like a stone toward the ground, Sara gets pulled down with it.

"Ah!" She shrieks as she tries to hold onto the wall and the body.

"Sara!" Tom shouts in horror.

Luckily when the clock hand fell the body slipped off of it and Sara was able to hold onto it and the building before the clock hand's weight dragged her down.

Tom climbed over and took the body from her, then they made their way back up to the safety of the balcony.

'Sara? Sara, are you there?' John calls out from the phone's speaker,'I still can't find the thermos.'

Sara leans her back against a wall, breathing hard from her little almost death experience. She digs into her pocket for the phone, then just chucks it off the building.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the last episode of Sherlock season 4 is out and it sadly may be the last season, at least for awhile. Now, I thought the episode was good, I was left on the edge of my seat for many parts, like holy shit. The ending was nice, but I was just hoping for...more. I still think the previous season were better, but I wasn't disappointed. Anyway, tell me your thoughts on the episode in the comments.
> 
> Next I'm going to have to intergrade this story with the newest season, I've already got loads of ideas on how I am going to do so :) So stay tuned for more.


	39. A break

Chapter 39:

“This body still has some blood.”

Tom rubs his chin,”That means the murderer is coming close to his end.”

Donovan narrows her eyes,”What does that mean?"

Sherlock rolls his eyes,”Your kind wouldn’t understand.”

I elbow him hard in the ribs making him wince.

I step toward Donovan,”I am sorry, but the information we found is confidential.”

She laughs,”Confidential?! What are you, the government?”

“No, but I am.”

We all turn to Tom. He walks forward and pulls out a badge,”Thomas Sherrinford Holmes, British intelligence,” he puts his badge away once she examines it. ”I am sorry about all the secrecy, but the Queen would rather not include the police in a case such as this one," he tells her with a charming smile. 

She looks a bit thrown off by his handsome charm but soon snaps out of it and turns toward the door. "I'm going to see what Greg says about this."

I roll my eyes at her and lean back against the wall. 

“You are British intelligence?” John asks Tom.

“No, he isn’t,” Sherlock cuts in before Tom can,”The badge is a fake.”

Tom clears his throat,”Actually, it isn’t. I was given this by Mycroft because I often help him with high level cases.”

Sherlock frowns at him,”I was never given one.”

Tom smirks,”We know who the favorite brother is then.”

Sherlock glowers at him before turning back to the dead body.

“Find anything?” I question.

"Get out, Anderson."

I turn and see Anderson about to walk in the doorway. His jaw drops,"But I-"

"Out."

Anderson sighs and leaves. 

Sherlock sighs frustratedly and answers my question,”No, but there may be evidence on the street cams."

"So this proves that someone is doing this on purpose," John pipes up,"This isn't just a vampire gone rogue."

Tom nods,"Yes. They are trying harder to get our attention now."

"He is getting bored of this game," Sherlock murmurs before flitting to my side,”Did you notice anything when you were up there?”

I shake my head,”No, there was nothing.”

“Damn,” he hisses and his eyes turn crimson.

I make my way to the bag I brought, which is in plain sight by the table. I send John a glare as I show him the bag. 

He shrugs innocently,”…I swear that wasn’t there when I looked.”

I roll my eyes and pull the thermos of blood from it. “Here, Sherlock-“

“I’m not thirsty.”

I frown at him,”You obviously are, so stop being a child and just take the blood-“

“I said no!” he shouts and flits across the room to me,”I don’t eat when I’m on a case, so this will be no different.”

“You had blood the last time we looked at a body,” I scoff,”The hunger is messing with your brain more than eating or drinking would.”

“I don’t care-“

A sound comes from the doorway. “Uh…”

We turn and my heart stops when I see Greg standing there, jaw slack and eyes wide in horror. I gulp and quickly turn Sherlock away from him to hide his natural colored eyes. “T-this isn’t what it looks like!” I stutter.

“Oh shit,” John mutters as he stares at Lestrade.

Greg takes a stumbling step back,”W-what is it then? Because I have no idea what this looks like!” he shouts,”What the bloody hell is going on?!”

“Greg-“ John takes a step toward him to try and calm him down.

“No! Stay right there!” Greg shouts at him, as though afraid of John being a vampire as well. “Now, answers! Why are your eyes like that, and what is all this talk about drinking blood? Please tell me this a joke.”

I smile,”Haha, you figured it out. Its a joke-“

“I’m a vampire,” Sherlock suddenly says and turns back around to stare cooly at Greg,”So are Sara and Tom.”

I glare at him and smack his shoulder,”What the hell?!”

He rolls his eyes,”It’s not like he will tell anyone, and if he does everyone will think he is insane.”

“Yes, that is how it starts out, but if you keep revealing yourself to people then they will eventually believe and you will be hunted down!”

Sherlock sighs and restrains to roll his eyes again. Arg! This man is so frustrating!

That is it!

I grab Sherlock's arm and proceed to pull him from the room.

“H-hey! What are you doing?!” he questions, struggling in my grip.

I grit my teeth,”We are leaving. It is pointless to stay here and you just revealed to Greg that we are vampires.”

“It’s fine! There could still be more clues-“

I stop and shove him against a wall,”You are out of control and I am sick of watching over you like your mother!” I growl,”We are going home and you are staying there until you can get your powers under control and keep our secret.” I glance at John and Tom,”Take care of him,” I tell them, nodding my head toward Lestrade. I then yank on Sherlock's arm and pull him from the building. Glancing around quickly, I then move to an empty alleyway and flit the two of us to Baker street once we are out of sight from any passerby’s.

Once there, I shove Sherlock into the living room and slam the flat door behind me. I point at him,”You are on house arrest until further notice.”

His jaw drops,”You can’t do that!”

I cross my arms,”I can and will.”

He glares at me,"You turned me so I could help, yet you refuse to let me join you!"

“I turned you to save your life!” I then sigh,"Sherlock, you are still unused to your powers and are very unstable at the moment," I tell him,"You just exposed vampires. You are better off staying here."

He grits his teeth,”Staying out of your way you mean. So you can go off with my brother? He is the reason, isnt he?" he questions.

My eyes widen in confusion,"What? Of course not!" I then start to get angry,”Why do you always accuse me of cheating?! Why is it so hard for you to realize that I really love you?” I shout,”I am getting sick of you keeping that over my head!”

Sherlock rolls his eyes dramatically then walks to his room,”I’m done with this squabble. I will be in my mind palace, do not interrupt me.”

He slams his door shut and I let out a frustrated sound, covering my face with my hands. I shake my head and lower my arms to look out the window.

“What are you going to do?” Tom questions from behind me.

I glance at him and then back out the window. I had not realized he followed us.

“…I will just give him time. I think we need a break.” 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	40. Betrayal?

Chapter 40:

Sara’s POV:

I am currently sitting across from Mycroft in his office. I came not long after my fight with Sherlock. I want answers and Mycroft is the person who knows most about Sherlock.

“Sherlock finds it hard to trust people, as I am sure you already know. He is the same way with love,” Mycroft says and shakes his head with disapproval,”He continues to ignore me when I tell him that love is a weakness.”

“He claims not to love others.”

He nods,”He does, but that is a lie. He loves many if he has fully gained their trust, though he may not know it. Our parents, Mrs.Hudson, John, even Greg Lestrade. He loves and trusts them all, but it did not happen overnight. You, I’m afraid, are the last to the Sherlock party. You also are in a different predicament than the others.”

I cross my arms,“How so?”

“This isn’t family love, this is a whole new area for my brother. Trust needed for a relationship like yours will take a very long time to grow for Sherlock. He pushes everyone away until they prove that they will stay. He is using Tom as an excuse, pushing you away to protect himself from hurt.”

“How do I prove it to him then?”

He shrugs,”Like I said, time,” he smiles lazily,”You both have more than enough of it now.”

I roll my eyes,”Don’t start.”

“Start what?”

“You reprimanding me on how bad of an idea it was to turn Sherlock into a vampire. I didn’t have a choice!”

“There is always a choice-“

“Would you rather have had him die?”

He is quiet a moment.

My eyes widen.

“…You know how much I risk to keep him safe-“ he says weakly. 

“But you think this was a mistake."

He nods silently. 

I grit my teeth and clench my hands into fists,"You would let your brother die, because the other option would be inconvenient for you? That is it, am I right?"

He looks down at his hands and sighs,"I am just thinking of the wellbeing of everyone. Sherlock was dangerous before, now he has more power than any human. If he were to snap… the consequences would be devastating."

"And what about me?" I question angrily,"You know my past, yet you keep me alive, depend on me even."

"You are different-"

"Am I? Because I can remember how it felt. The rush of killing someone in cold blood, the taste of their fresh blood. There is not a day where I don't think about returning to that life!"

Mycroft stares at me in silence. His eyes showing traces of fear. 

"And why don't you?" He questions, an expressionless mask returning to his face,"If you miss it so much, then let that side of yourself free."

I clench my hands into fists and stare at my lap,"...I do miss it, but the pain I cause everyone out weighs what good I feel. I do not want to hurt those that I have come to love...not again."

He nods,"That is precisely why I let you walk freely. You have learned the repercussions of the damage you have caused, Sherlock has not. He would end up having to go through all that you have, and who is to say he would learn the errors of his way in the end. And then there is Thomas, but we both know that he is no issue."

I glare at him,"You should give Sherlock more credit, he has done a lot of good."

"For selfish reasons."

I shake my head and stand,"Goodbye, Mycroft."

He calls out to me as I walk from the room. "This will not end well, Sara."

And don't I know it. 

As I exit Mycroft's office, I hear my phone beep. 

'Tom: I found something. Meet me at this address as soon as possible.'

Finally! This case has been giving me a bad feeling, I just want it over with. 

I speed to the address and find Tom waiting for me. 

"What did you find?" I ask, staring up at the large warehouse in front of us.

He shows me a picture of our map of London at 221b. "The latest killings form a symbol, and at the center is this address. I believe it is a message for us."

I frown, staring at the star-like symbol made from the locations of the latest murders. "That seems like a trap."

He nods,"It might be, or it might be Moriarty playing his game. This could be the place where we will find the next clue."

I think it over. I agree with Tom that it might be where the next clue will be. Moriarty played this game with us before, I don't see why he would want to end the game this early. For all we know, this may not even be Moriarty. 

I look at the building in front of us,”Let's check it out before the sun rises."

He pauses,"What about Sherlock?"

"He is too unstable at the moment. It is better that he stays away."

We slowly enter the two-story building and I can already feel that something is wrong. I sense eleven people inside, and as we walk to the center of the large room I feel them surround us.

“Alright, we are here!” I shout raising my arms,”Show yourself!”

A deep chuckles echoes throughout the room. “Just as feisty as I remember,” an all too familiar voice teases,”Ah, but where is the star of the show?”

My throat tightens as the lights flicker on and Moriarty walks into the light.

“So you did survive," I say, glaring at him.

He smiles,”As did Sherlock. We are just full of surprises, aren’t we? How was it thinking he was dead for two years?”

I grit my teeth,”We did not come here to talk.”

“Oh?” he steps closer with his head cocked to one side,”Why did you come here? To stop me?”

“Yes.”

He laughs,”How? You are just one girl against me and all my men,” he spreads his arms and twenty more of his men come out of the shadows from the level above us, aiming their laser-pointed guns at me.

How did I not sense them?!

I start to back away. This is a trap. We need to get out of here. 

Moriarty sees that I am trying to escape. He clears his throat,"Tom, if you would."

Suddenly I am grabbed from behind and cuffs are bound around my wrists. I try to break them but they don't budge. I can feel my energy being sapped as well. 

Darkwood cuffs, of course. 

I look behind me in shock. "Tom, what are you doing?!" I shout as I try to get free of his hold on me. 

He gazes at me sadly,"I am sorry, Sara."

I hear Moriarty chuckling,"And all is revealed."

I blink and turn to the psychopath. He smiles manically and laughs at me,"Tom has been under my control the entire time!" he gloats. 

My eyes widen.

"I sent him to England to "bump" into you. Everything that has happened so far has been part of my plan."

"Why?" I snarl. 

His smile drops,"I knew Sherlock must have faked his death that day on the roof, so I was waiting him out. I knew he would eventually go back to you and John."

"So this is all part of your plan to take down Sherlock again?" I question, eyeing the other men in the room. They are humans. So where is the other vampire behind this? I know mere humans wouldn't have been able replicate a ripper attack. 

"Of course. We never did finish our game."

I narrow my eyes,"How are you alive? Sherlock saw you shoot yourself in the head."

He chuckles and waves a finger at me,"That would be telling. I will wait until Sherlock is here for that.”

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	41. I don't need him

Chapter 41:

3rd person POV:

Sherlock sits in his room, eyes closed, and hands steepled.

It has been hours since Sara left, not that Sherlock would have noticed. He has been sulking in his mind palace ever since his and Sara's fight.

A beeping sound breaks his meditative state. He glances to his bedside table where his phone sits. Debating for a second if he should look at it, he decides to in case it is Sara.

He reaches over an grabs his phone, then looks over the text sent by an unknown number.

'Come and find her. -M’ The text says with an address at the bottom.

He grits his teeth and glares at the phone. Standing, he strides to his closet to change.

~

"Are you sure she is in danger?” John questions,"I thought you two were taking a break?"

"Break? Who said that?"

“...Sara did."

Sherlock narrows his eyes then shakes his head,"Nevermind that. Sara is in danger! I need to find her!"

"But-"

"You don’t get it!" Sherlock suddenly shouts,"I cannot live without her! She is like a drug to me, addicting, and dangerous,” he gazes off and says softly,"She keeps me sane."

John slowly walks to him and pats his shoulder,”We will find her. Now, let's look for some clues.”

Sherlock nods and they get into a cab.

"Have you tried to call her?"

"Of course I have," Sherlock snorts,"She didn't answer. I also called Mycroft but he said he hasn't heard from her since she left his office."

"She went to see him?"

"Apparently. I didn't bother to ask why."

John hums,"Well she must have went there after talking to me," he glances at his friend,"So, how are you? After the fight and all that."

"There was no fighting," Sherlock says evasively as he stares out the window. 

John raises an eyebrow and turns his gaze to his window,"That's not what she said..."

Sherlock ignores him and they soon arrive at the address. 

As soon as they exit the cab, Sherlock darts into the building after smelling blood. Quickly moving past John to the source, he finds himself upstairs in a large room, a body on the ground with blood pooling around it. He covers his nose and steps forward to examine it.

John eventually arrives and frowns at the body,”Did you find anything?”

Sherlock shakes his head in frustration,”Nothing. There must be a clue, I was sent here for a reason."

Just then, Greg and Anderson enter the room. Greg looking a bit apprehensive to be near Sherlock, he still doesn't know how to feel about him after finding out he is a vampire.

Sherlock groans at the sight of them,"Oh what are you two doing here?"

"I called them," John pipes up. He gestures to the body,"Thought they should know about this, dead body and all."

"How did they arrive so quickly?"

John raises an eyebrow at him,"I called them after you answered my question, you just stood there staring at the body for about ten minutes thinking about god knows what."

Sherlock rolls his eyes and moves to examine the room closer.

"Where is your little girlfriend?" Anderson asks as he looks over the body,"She usually is here to keep you in check."

“Pity they let you back onto the force," Sherlock fires back.

"Sara is... missing actually," John answers.

Greg looks at him concerned,"How long has she been gone?"

"A few hours, can't be sure," the sociopath grunts.

Greg frowns,"Well she could have just gone off to be alone for awhile. She does live with Sherlock, I don't blame her."

Sherlock growls,"She is missing! I fear she is in danger."

"What about that Tom fellow? Maybe he could help."

John glances at Sherlock,"...We actually haven't heard from him. Did you contact him at all, Sherlock?" he then shakes his head and pulls out his phone,"Wait, never mind. Of course you wouldn't have." He dials Tom's number but no one answers. He frowns,"He isn't picking up. You don't think he is in trouble to, do you?"

"Maybe, I don't know. But Sara is our priority right now," Sherlock tells him. "Ahah!" he shouts triumphantly as he finds something. He chips away some of the paint on the wall and a red symbol is seen underneath.

Anderson walks to the wall with a frown,"How long has that been there for? The paint is dry and this body is only an hour old."

"Doesn't matter," Sherlock takes a picture of the symbol and strides toward the door,"Let's go John."

"Wait a minute!" Anderson grabs onto his shoulder, only to be thrown back against the wall by a red eyed Sherlock.

"Do not touch me!" he hisses menacingly. 

"Whoa! Hey!" Greg shouts and runs to Anderson's aid. The dark haired man is now unconscious. Greg turns to Sherlock with a scowl,"What the hell is the matter with you?!"

Sherlock ignores him and quickly makes his way out of the flat and onto the streets. Instead of hailing a cab, he uses his super speed to flit back to Baker street, leaving John to get back by himself.

"Dammit," John mutters and hails for a cab,"Sara is going to be pissed."

At the flat Sherlock is buzzing around, searching for what the symbol means. A very pregnant Mary pops up before John is back.

"I heard about Sara," she says as she enters the flat,"How can I help?"

Sherlock shows his phone to her,"Do you know this symbol?" he questions.

She takes an agonizingly long moment of looking at it before she responds,"...No, sorry I don't."

Sherlock slams his phone on the desk,"Then you are no use to me!" he shouts and paces the room. He closes his eyes and searches his mind palace for a trace of the symbol.

Mary sighs,"Sherlock, I know you are worried, but being like this isn't helping the situation."

His eyes snap open and he glares menacingly at her,"Oh really? Is being stupid and useless like you going to help?" he snaps, slowly stepping toward her. His eyes slowly turning a shade redder, he can feel his gums starting to ache. "Fat as cow, a walking blood bag. You are no help to anyone... or maybe you are," his eyes become fixated on her neck,"I need sustenance to think properly."

Mary starts to shake with fear as she takes a step back,"W-what are you doing?"

Sherlock then lunges for her. Mary pulls out a gun but the detective easily swats it away and latches his mouth to her neck, digging his fangs into her sweet flesh.

Sherlock moans at the taste of her fresh, warm blood. But his meal is soon ended by an immense pain in his abdomen. He pulls back and lets out cry of pain. Stumbling back, he looks down and sees blood seeping through his white shirt and blazer. This is his blood.

He looks up and finds John standing in the doorway, a gun in his hand. John glares at his friend and lowers his gun before quickly running to his wife's aid. He sets her down in his chair, then rushes into the kitchen for a towel to put on her neck.

Sherlock leans against the desk and groans in pain as he digs the bullet out of his abdomen. "Bloody hell, John!"

John looks over at his wounded friend and grits his teeth, eyes filled with hatred,"Is that all you can say?" he hisses,"YOU JUST FED ON MY PREGNANT WIFE!"

"I needed blood to think properly!" Sherlock shouts back,"I need to find Sara-"

"Is Sara even missing?" John questions as he holds the now bloodied rag to his wife's throat,"She is probably just taking some time to be alone. Maybe she is with Tom. I know full well that he is better company than you! You pissed her off, and now you are pissing everyone else off!"

Sherlock glares at him,"She is missing! I was sent a text from Moriarty."

John stands and holds out his hand,"Show me? Are you even sure it was him?"

Sherlock picks up his cracked phone and then notices that it is throughly broken from him smashing it on the desk. He lets out a growl and throws it against the wall in anger. He turns back to John,"It is true! She was taken by him and is in danger, I can feel it!"

John lets out a long sigh and shakes his head. He turns to his wife who is shaking like a leaf, staring in horror at Sherlock.

"John, where are you going?" the sociopath questions when he notices John standing up Mary and helping her to the door.

"Leaving," he grunts.

Sherlock rushes toward his friend, wincing at the pain in his abdomen, and grabs John by the shoulder,"You can't-"

John points his gun to Sherlock's chest and snarls,"Don't make me shoot you again." 

Sherlock backs away in defeat and watches the couple leave. He shakes his head and walks to his computer. "I don't need him." He sits and continues his search for the symbol. His wound has stopped bleeding and he can feel that it has healed already.

'Perks of being a vampire I suppose.' He thinks to himself.

He finally finds the symbol. It is an old symbol that was carved into several buildings in London. It was the symbol for a secret society of some kind. His mind flashes with a memory, he has seen this symbol before.

He quickly leaves the flat and makes his way to the location he is sure they are keeping his girlfriend at.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	42. Please!

Chapter: 42

3rd person POV:

Sherlock strides into the building, not giving any fucks as he knows Moriarty is waiting for him. 

"Ah, we are finally all present!" Moriarty claps from where he sits in a chair at the far side of the large double story warehouse. He stands and walks forward a few steps,"Now we can finish this."

Sherlock spies Sara to the right of Moriarty, she is on her knees with her hands behind her back. Tom stands behind her with an expression Sherlock cannot quite make out. 

"Now, I believe you all deserve some answers, yes?” 

Sherlock stands rooted in the same spot, eye analyzing the situation,"How are you alive?" he questions. 

Moriarty chuckles as he paces the floor in front of him, waving his gun as he speaks,"That is the dying question.” He glances to Sara,"I knew what you were. I knew before the court trial, the kidnappings, the faking of my death. You actually made all of this possible.”

She frowns,”How so?”

“Well, once I found out vampires existed I couldn’t stop myself from seeking one out,” his eyes glinting with bloodlust,”All that power in one person. I wanted it for myself!”

Sara’s eyes widen in horror.

Moriarty chuckles,”Yes. When searching your origin, I found a certain vampire through my contacts and made him turn me into one of you. I did this after my “death scene” by the way," he smirks at Sherlock,”I think I will let you figure out how I survived on the rooftop. Anywho, then I waited for Sherlock to come back because I knew he did not kill himself either, and I set my final game into motion. But I was throughly disappointed in you, Sherlock.”

Sherlock glares hatefully at the physcopath,”Why?”

Moriarty is suddenly by Sara and grips her by the throat, lifting her up into the air. “Because of her!” he snarls, his face inches from the vampiress,”You fell in love and ruined our game! You became like everyone else!” He throws Sara to the ground with enough force to knock the wind from her.

Tom rushes to her side to check for injuries then glares at Moriarty.

”I became a ripper and created the biggest case you’ve had yet. But you were hopelessly outmatched,” Moriarty reveals to Sherlock, his tone soft again,"I even thought that maybe if you were a vampire, then you would rise up to the challenge. BUT NO! YOU BECAME EVEN WEAKER!” he shouts suddenly, his eyes now a burning red color,”It’s time to end this. You’ve already lost this game.”

“I’m still alive aren’t I?” Sherlock questions cooly,”This game is not over, not as long as I stand here!”

Moriarty laughs at him,”You are fighting a lost cause. I turned your friends against you, turned to brother against you, and I have you precious girlfriend under lock and key. You have no one.”

Sherlock assesses the man before him. ‘If Moriarty is truly the ripper that killed all those people, then he can’t have much time left,’ he thinks to himself,’I can tell he is a lot more unstable, his mind is leaving him. But what can I do? There are thirty humans here with their guns trained on me, Tom is apparently siding with Moriarty, and Sara has been captured. He is right…I am alone.’

Sherlock cocks his head to the side,”Why become a ripper?” he questions, choosing to keep Moriarty talking while he thinks up a plan. “You’ve nothing to gain from that.”

Moriarty looks at him like he is stupid and chuckles insanely,”I have EVERYTHING to gain from it! I AM MORE POWERFUL! NOTHING CAN STAND IN MY WAY NOW!”

Sherlock narrows his eyes,”But don’t you know?”

Moriarty settles down and frowns at him,"Know what?"

“Vampires who turn ripper always die!” Sara cuts in, glaring hatefully at the psychopath,”All of the blood they consume makes them go insane, or in your case even more insane.”

Moriarty glares at her,”You lie! YOU ARE LYING!” he roars. Looking at Tom now,”You told me I would get stronger!”

Tom nods, stone faced,”I did, and it is true. You have gotten much stronger.”

What Tom failed to mention to him, is that his mind would weaken as his body became stronger.

Moriarty growls and grips his head, unsure who to believe. He shakes his head vigorously,”ENOUGH!” he looks at Sherlock with a wide smile,”Time to end this, but first…” he slides his gaze to Sara,"I will kill your beloved." 

Sherlock’s eyes widen and he starts forward, only to be stopped by several of the humans cocking their guns at him. ”NO! LET HER GO!” he shouts,”Your fight is with me, not her!”

Tom stands up from Sara’s side, fury rolling off of him in waves. ”That was not part of our deal!” he growls at Moriarty, eyes blazing.

Moriarty giggles insanely,”True, but she is Sherlock’s greatest weakness, and the best way to hurt him is to hurt her.”

Tom starts to charge toward him but Moriarty quickly raises his gun and shoots. Tom stumbles back a bit and looks down at his bullet wound. He then laughs and looks back to Moriarty,”You think a bullet is going to-“ he cuts off, eyes widening as his face contorting in pain. A second later and his eyes are rolling back and he falls to the ground unconscious.

Sara crawls to her friend,”Tom!” She looks up with wide eyes,”W-what did you do to him?”

Moriarty strokes his gun with a sadistic smile,”A highly concentrated dose of Darkwood. Puts a vampire to sleep and will kill if shot in the right place, like the head.” He gestures to his men and Sara is grabbed and pulled away from Tom. They drag her in front of Moriarty and force her to kneel before the psychopath. Sara grits her teeth and glares up at him as he presses his gun to her forehead.

'I-I do not want to die, especially like this,’ she thinks to herself, '...But am I more worried for Sherlock. This will ruin him. If I am to die, I want him to live on and be happy, not wallow in guilt.'

“Stop this!” Sherlock growls, taking a step forward despite the guns trained on him.

“No, no,” Moriarty tuts, cocking his gun,”She will be dead by the time you get here. Your super speed will do you no good here.”

“Leave her be! …Please!” Sherlock pleads, his eyes filled with fear as he glances between his girlfriend and Moriarty.

Sara gazes at Sherlock with watery eyes, giving a silent farewell. 

His eyes have unshed tears in them,"...I'm sorry," he whispers. 

Moriarty gives Sherlock a wink before pressing his gun harder to Sara’s temple.

A tear streaks down her face and she closes her eyes. 

A gunshot goes off.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	43. I need a vacation

Chapter 43

Sara’s POV:

My heart beats frantically as I wait for pain …but it never comes.

I blink my eyes open and am surprised to see Moriarty on the ground before me, a bullet wound in his temple. I hear thuds around me and look up to see Moriarty’s men dropping like flies as Sherlock quickly snaps their necks. I then feel someone come up behind me and proceed to take off my hand cuffs.

I look behind me and frown,”John?”

“Your boyfriend is an asshole, just so you know,” he mutters as he gets me free. 

I sigh,”What did he do?”

John just shakes his head,”He should just be glad that Mary is very forgiving.”

I nod, wondering what went on while I was captured. "What happened to Moriarty?"

"I shot him. Luckily he wasn't expecting me," John answers.

I quickly pull him into a tight hug. "Thank you," I whisper. I would be the one dead on the ground right now if not for John. 

Sherlock walks over to me and kneels in front of me, looking me over for any injuries,"Are hurt anywhere?" he asks concerned. 

I release John and shake my head before launching myself into his arms. He holds me tight and buries his face in my hair. 

"I almost lost you," he whispers. 

I squeeze my eyes shut to keep them from watering,"I'm here, I'm safe now."

I hear a pain filled groan come from behind me. I pull away from Sherlock to look behind me. Tom is starting to wake. 

"Ugh, my head," he groans as he slowly sits up. His eyes snap open and he looks around frantically,"Sara-" he spots me and relief floods through him. He then frowns as he casts his gaze around the room,"...What happened?"

I explain that he was drugged and Mortisrty is dead now. He looks angry, probably mad at Moriarty for drugging him. 

"Why were you helping him?" I question,"What was the deal?"

He closes his eyes snd rubs his head while wincing,"...The deal was that if I brought him Sherlock, then he would spare you," he looks at me with regretfilled eyes,"Please understand that I was only looking out for you-"

"You gave up your own brother."

He sighs,"I love you, Sara. I cannot live without you."

I look away and clench my hands into fists,"You still should have done something else. Told us. Anything! We could have came up with a plan-"

"I told him about rippers, lied to him that it was a secret way for a vampire to become invincible," Tom explains,"I had hoped he would succumb before the final showdown, but I did not anticipate him ending the game so soon. Please understand-"

"It doesn't matter now," Sherlock interrupts,"Moriarty is dead, for good this time. Let's just head back home." He looks exhausted, not so much physically, but more so emotionally. 

I nod and he helps me stand. 

"Sara, wait!" Tom pleads as he tries to stand, but he is having difficulty from the aftereffects of the drug. 

"Why don't you go see Mycroft," I suggest,"He needs to be told of what happened so he can clean up the bodies."

Tom looks crestfallen, knowing that I don't want to be near him right now. He clears his throat,"Of course," he murmurs softly before sending his brother a glare. 

Sherlock and I exit the warehouse with John. 

"Glad this is finally over," John sighs. 

I nod,"I need a vacation."

"I'm bored."

I roll my eyes at my child-like boyfriend. "Oh, and what happened with Mary?" I question,"You mentioned Sherlock did something but did not say what."

Sherlock tenses next to me. 

"Sherlock," I warn. 

"It wasn’t that big of a deal-"

"Wasn't that big of a deal?!" John says outraged,"You fed on my pregnant wife!" 

I gasp and smack Sherlock's arm. He growls,"She is fine! I only took a liter or so of blood, nothing more than a phlebotomist would take. And why do you always bring up that she is pregnant? We can all obviously see that."

"I bring it up because she is carrying my child inside her and your antics are dangerous to the both of them!" John fires back. 

"Plenty of expecting mothers give blood, John!"

I drone out their bickering as we enter a cab. 

I love when they do things like this, reminds me that we will always be a family, no matter where we live now or how little we see of each other sometimes. They will always be my Baker Street boys. 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is not yet done, I am going to continue on through Sherlock Season 4 so stay tuned :)


	44. A traumatic experience

Chapter 44:

2 months later:

Sara's POV:

Things have finally gotten back to normal at Baker street and i'm as happy as can be. Mary is getting closer to her due date everyday and the boys and I have gone back to solving cases. Everything has calmed down since Moriarty was dealt with...but I fear that something bad is bound to happen soon. Our lives never seem to stay serene for long, but that should be expected for a vampire like me.

I let out a sigh and roll onto my side. I reach out, only to find the spot next to me in bed to be empty.

Where has he gone off to now?

A loud bang from the other room answers my question. With another sigh I roll out of bed and walk out of the room.

"Jesus! What the hell are you doing?" I hear John shout,"Why are you even awake? "

"That is what I'm wondering," I say as I round the corner into the kitchen. I cross my arms and await a response.

Sherlock is in the kitchen with various things littering the table and ground. Wood, stones, some metal parts. The place is an absolute mess.

John is standing next to me in the doorway with grocery bags in hand. He usually picks up food for us since both Sherlock and I tend to forget to eat actual food, and we refuse to go to a store. Hah! Imagine two vampires going to a Tesco to pick up weekly groceries.

Sherlock drops the large stone he is holding and it makes a rather loud thump as it lands on the table. He looks at me apprehensively,"...I never went to sleep."

I frown,"But you came to bed with me."

"I stayed until you fell asleep because I knew you would disapprove of my actions."

I nod,"You are right about that."

He groans,"I was just experimenting!"

"With what?" John asks as he gazes around the room with a confused expression. 

I study the bits and pieces that litter the ground,"You were experimenting with your strength again I assume."

He nods,"With all the cases as of late I have not had time to properly experiment with my limits." He picks of a thick piece of metal and bends it into a U shape. He studies it with a smirk,"Rather impressive, don't you think?"

I roll my eyes,"You don't need to hide things from me, Sherlock. If anything you should ask for my input since I have been a vampire longer than you."

John clears his throat,"Well, since your both awake this early for once," he lifts his bags and smiles,"Breakfast anyone?"

~

"So how is Mary doing?" I ask, taking a sip from my coffee. We are sitting in the other room having breakfast.

John takes a moment to swallow his food before answering. "Good, she's good. Getting closer to her due date everyday, excited, anxious as well."

I smile,"I would be terrified. Mary is strong though, you will both be great parents."

His phone sounds an alert. Sighing, he takes it from his pocket and looks at the screen. His eyes widen,"Oh God."

Sherlock looks up from his meal,"Mary?"

"Fifty-nine missed calls."

My fork clatters onto my plate,"Oh shit."

We are then all on our feet. "John, we will meet you at your place after we change," I tell him as I make my way to mine and Sherlock's room.

John nods and rushes out of the flat. Sherlock follows me and we quickly change out of our pajamas.

"Excited?" Sherlock questions.

"Eh, a little," I answer as I pull my shirt over my head,"I am more excited to see the little booger, not so much the act of her being born."

"Not to worry, you and I will be in the waiting room when the baby is being born," Sherlock says as he buttons up his shirt,"Besides, child birth takes hours. Once we get them settled in the hospital we can come back to the flat until she is ready to give birth."

I smile,"Your right."

~

"Ow! Oh my God. Oh my God!" Mary groans.

We are currently in the back of John's car while he drives us to the hospital. Mary is sitting in-between Sherlock and I, clutching at her stomach and breathing hard.

"Relax," John tells her from the front seat,"Just remember to breath."

"I know how to breath!" Mary snaps at him.

I bite my lip to keep from giggling. "J-just... think about something else," I tell her and awkwardly pat her shoulder. I really am not good with type of thing.

Suddenly Mary has my hand in a death grip. She slides her gaze to me and I honestly feel scared. "Think. About. Something. Else?" she bites out.

I gulp.

"Relax, darling," John tells her again,"We are almost there."

"Just drive! Please, God, just drive! God, drive!" Mary shouts and releases my hand. 

I glance around her and see Sherlock typing away on his phone. He's been on it a lot lately, much easier to solve pointless cases over text than in person, also he can avoid going out during the day.

"Sherlock!" John snaps after glancing back to see his friend doing nothing.

My boyfriend glances up and then looks at Mary,"That's it, Mary," he says half-assed,"Re-"

"Don't you start!" Mary all but snarls.

Sherlock frowns,"...Lax."

Moments later his face is squashed hard against the car window by Mary's hand.

I cover my mouth to stop from laughing, but fail to do so and seconds later I am also pinned against my window.

"Ow," I grunt, making a note to never anger a pregnant woman again.

"John?" Mary groans out as she braces herself against sherlock and I. "John, I think you have to pull over."

"Mary-"

"Pull Over!" she screams and clutches at her belly again.

Sherlock looks down towards Mary's legs and his mouth falls open, his eyes widen in horror. "Oh my God."

I feel myself start to get sick at what I'm seeing. I frantically try to open my door but it is locked. "Ah! Let me out!" I shout.

Mary screams and then sobs. John glances over his shoulder and starts to finally pull the car to the kerb as Mary continues to scream.

I cover my eyes,"I saw a head!"

"Dear god."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates might come a bit slower because I am currently swamped with college, but I will try to update as soon as possible. I've also been trying to work on another story...been working on it for quite awhile actually but I'm finally getting around to putting it together. It is a Tom Hiddleston AU fanfic, it also has a bunch of other people like Benedict Cumberbatch included in it. So let me know if you would be interested in reading it :)


	45. Godparent?

Chapter 45:

Sara's POV:

After a very traumatic hour in John's car we eventually got to a hospital where both Mary and the baby were tended to. Mary had a beautiful baby girl and they were soon cleared to go home.

Two weeks have passed since that horrific day and we are currently at the Watson's house with Molly and Mrs.Hudson to see the baby.

Mary and John are sitting on the sofa, Mary cradling their new daughter as Mrs.Hudson takes pictures of them. Helium balloons are floating on strings behind the sofa and there are gift bags and flowers on the coffee table in front of the family. Molly and I are drinking from glasses of champagne and Mrs Hudson is taking another photograph with her camera.

"Aww," Mrs.Hudson coos,"She's so beautiful."

"What about a name?" Molly asks them.

"Catherine," John says with a smile.

Mary frowns at him,"Uh, yeah, we've gone off that."

"Have we?"

"Well, you know what I think," Sherlock cuts in. He is standing behind me, engrossed with his phone.

"It's not a girl's name!" Both John and Mary say together.

Sherlock smiles, eyes still fixed on his phone.

"Sara, Molly, Mrs. Hudson," John says,"We would love you to be godparents."

Molly laughs in delight,"Oh!"

My eyes widen,"Really?" I ask, not at all expecting this.

Mrs.Hudson clasps her hands together,"So lovely!"

John gets up and walks to my boyfriend so I take his seat on the sofa next to Mary.

Sherlock is still texting and hasn't noticed John standing next to him. John clears his throat,"And uh, you too."

"You too what?" my boyfriend asks while still texting.

"Godfather. We'd like you to be godfather."

Still texting, he responses,"God is a ludicrous fiction dreamt up by inadequates who abnegate all responsibility to an invisible magic friend."

"Sherlock!" I growl.

He pauses and looks up from his phone for a split second, giving me a questioning frown.

John sighs,"Yeah, but there'll be cake. Will you do it?"

Sherlock glances at him briefly then looks back to his phone,"I'll get back to you."

I roll my eyes and give John a helpless shrug. He just smiles and shakes his head.

My ears suddenly perk up at the sound of footsteps outside the house. I turn to Mary,"Are you expecting anyone else?"

"Yes, actually-"

The doorbell rings.

John smiles and walks to the door to open it. "Hey, glad you could make it," he says joyfully to the person.

I recognize this scent. Sherlock isn't going to be happy.

John walks back into the living room and Tom is trailing behind him.

Sherlock instantly snaps his attention from his phone once Tom's scent hits him. "What is he doing here?" he questions as he glares at his brother.

John quickly steps in-between them,"Tom is my friend and I wanted him to meet my daughter. We can all act like civil adults can't we, Sherlock?"

I stand and walk to my boyfriend, gripping his arm tightly. "Of course we can," I tell John with a smile.

Sherlock shoots me a betrayed look but I ignore it. "Go back to looking at your phone why don't you," I hiss to him before walking to give Tom a hug.

Sherlock's attitude toward his brother is beginning to piss me off- well it has always bugged me, but more so now. While I don't agree with what Tom did I don't hate him for it either, because I know Sherlock would have done the same in a heartbeat. Hell, Sherlock would have gladly given Tom's life up for John, or even Greg for that matter. But It's over now, Moriarty is dead, so they need to stop bickering.

Tom hugs me tightly. "How have you been?" He asks as he releases me.

I smile,"Good. Things have gone back to normal and its been nice. A good change of pace," I tell him,"And you? I heard you have been working on a case for Mycroft."

He nods,"Just finished it actually. A minor issue involving a British vampire in Scotland, nothing too troublesome."

"Tom," Mary calls from the couch,"Come meet the baby."

Tom smiles brightly and makes his way over to her.

Sherlock meanwhile glares at his brother hotly from the other side of the room. John is talking to him, most likely lecturing him on brotherly conduct.

"...Is everything alright with them?" Molly asks me quietly as she looks between Sherlock and Tom.

I shake my head,"Just sibling rivalry."

She nods then pauses a moment before speaking,"...Is Tom by any chance... single at the moment?" she asks hesitatingly, her cheeks flushing red.

I raise an eyebrow at her,"...Yes, he is."

I glance to Tom and see him looking at us having heard our conversation. He winks and then turns his attention back to the baby.

I hear Molly's heart skip a beat. I don't blame her, he has that effect on most people.

I smile at the shy girl,"Moved on from Sherlock?"

She blushes a bit more and shrugs,"Well, you two are together now. I don't want to get in the way of that, and I think I have finally accepted that he won't return my feelings. Plus, Tom is a lot easier to talk with. He is a really nice person to be around actually."

I nod,"He is."

I hear Sherlock snort which causes me to roll my eyes.

"She is just adorable," Tom coos as he holds the little Watson,"Such a sweetheart."

Mary snorts,"Maybe now. At night she becomes a screaming little demon."

I smile and move to sit next to Tom on the couch,"A night owl, just like her Auntie Sara," I say.

John raises an eyebrow at me,"Auntie? I thought you were a godmother?"

I cross my arms,"I am too young to be a godmother."

"Maybe in looks," Sherlock mutters.

I shoot him a glare then focus on the baby.

"I best be going," Mrs.Hudson announces,"I don't want to miss my program."

"I should go as well," Molly adds,"I have some clients to tend to," she giggles at her own terrible joke.

Tom chuckles too which makes her smile brightly.

"So does she make you want a baby now?" Mary asks me once they have left.

Tom passed me the baby and I now cradle her in my arms.

John snorts and walks over to us,"If she stays with Sherlock then that will never happen."

Sherlock pauses his typing to send him a glare.

I smile softly at the baby,"A child would be nice. But sadly vampires cannot have children."

John's eyes widen,"I'm so sorry, I forgot- We didn't mean to bring it up."

I shake my head, and try to avoid Mary's pity filled gaze. "It's fine. I have had a long time to come to terms with it. Luckily Sherlock doesn't seem to care."

"Nope," he pops the P as he continues to type on his phone.

Tom chuckles,"Might be a good thing we cannot procreate. Imagine, tiny bloodsucking vampires running about."

Mary nods,"Very true."

I smile down at the baby,"At least we won't ever have to worry about birth control or anything."

John chuckles,"You say that like you've..." his smile falters and he switches his gaze to Sherlock,"You two haven't... Um, you know..." he trails off.

"Yup," my boyfriend answers without looking up from his phone.

"No!" Mary gasps like she just heard the best gossip,"Really?"

I giggle at her shocked response. Sherlock looks at her like she is stupid,"Yes. Really."

John laughs in disbelief,"I thought i'd never see the day."

Sherlock looks rather offended which just makes me laugh even more. I then catch Tom's saddened expression as he gazes at his feet.

I quiet down and gulp awkwardly, giving John a pointed look. His eyes widen and he stops laughing.

John clears his throat,"...Well, you could always adopt, right?" he says, getting us away from the topic of mine and Sherlock's sex life.

"Assuming you plan to turn your child into a vampire later on to live a long life filled with death and sadness, by all means adopt," Sherlock sasses.

"Oh, I wouldn't ever want to be a vampire," Mary comments with a shiver before glancing at Tom, Sherlock, and I,"No offense to you lot, but your lives don't seem too fun."

I chuckle,"None taken. It is a hard life, but we try to make the best of it."

"I was also bit by one," Mary sends Sherlock a pointed look,"Not the greatest first impression to your kind."

"I said I was sorry," Sherlock groans like a child.

"You wouldn't want to live for centuries?" John asks his wife.

She raises an eyebrow,"Would you? I'm assuming not since you are still human."

John crosses his arms,"Maybe I was waiting for the right person to come into my life."

Mary smiles and shakes her head,"You would hate that life, John," she then gazes out the window,"One life is enough for me. I would rather die than watch my child grow old before me, or sentence them to the life of a killer."

Silence falls over the room.

"Well, this took a somber turn," Sherlock rudely comments as he pockets his phone,"I think its time Sara and I get going. Cases to solve, people to murder. Let's go, sweetheart."

Sweetheart? That's new.

I frown and hand Mary her baby then say my goodbyes before leaving with Sherlock.

"...What was that about, Sweetheart?" I question once we are outside.

Sherlock frowns at me,"What- Oh that," he shrugs,"...Just trying something new."

"Or trying to get on Tom's nerves," I mutter.

Sherlock rolls his eyes dramatically before grabbing my hand. "Why would John invite him? He knows what he did."

"Don't start," I plead,"You know if you were in his position that you would have done the same thing."

Sherlock grunts but says nothing more on the subject. So we continue to walk hand in hand at a normal pace back to Baker street. It is a cloudy day(as per usual in London) so we have no fear of getting a nasty sun burn.

I close my eyes and lean onto Sherlock's shoulder as we stroll through the streets.

"Are you happy?" Sherlock suddenly questions.

I open my eyes and frown up at him,"Of course. Why do you ask?"

He just smiles softly,"No reason." He bends down and kisses the top of my head softly.

Oh how I love this man.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	46. A brotherly escapade

Chapter 46:

Sherlock's POV:

"No! I refuse to be partnered with him." I shout.

My girlfriend sighs,"You need him to get you into the building. You are still not in control of your abilities, John is on baby duty, and I have work with Mycroft. He is the only one that can accompany you, and frankly he was the only to volunteer."

I cross my arms stubbornly.

Sara shrugs,"Fine, then your off the case. Have fun with that nagging at you."

"Just hold on a minute," Tom cuts in. He turns to me,"It's one case. Surely you can stand to be around me for a day or two. I know I'm not your favorite person at the moment, but I am trying to fix this. It pains me to see Sara in your arms, but you make her happy, and I want my brother back." He gazes at me with pleading eyes,"Just... give me a chance, Sherlock."

No matter what he says I can still see the burning desire he has for Sara, ...but I also see how hard he is trying to mend our bond.

For months I avoided and pretended to overlook his peaceful gestures. I finally got Mycroft to send him on a mission to get him off my back. His persistence is annoyingly unwavering.

I narrow my eyes at him."One day."

A smile breaks out on his face,"Excellent! I will meet you here early tomorrow morning." Then he is gone in a flash.

I sigh in relief and walk to my chair. Plopping myself down, I steeple my hands under my chin and prepare myself for tomorrow.

Hands weaving through my thick curls break my concentration, though they are not unwanted. 

"It will be fine," Sara murmurs above me.

I grunt but say nothing.

"Just try to get along. You two were close when you were younger, wouldn't you like to have that bond once again?"

"No."

She sighs,"Well think of it this way, Tom is just as smart as you and Mycroft. While you may not understand normal people, you can bond with Tom over your intellect."

"He may be smart, but he is not like us."

"Because he is a nice person?"

I refuse to answer. Being 'nice' is a false pretense in which people do to fit in. I could careless if someone 'liked' me. That is where Tom differs from Mycroft and I. Even though Mycroft is better in social situations than me, he still has a burning hatred for 'normal' people. Tom is the complete opposite and I hate him for it.

...Growing up he was always the favorite child. He was smart, handsome, heart of gold(as so many called it), and had many friends. In any sense he was perfect. Mycroft adapted a facade to fit in as well, wheres I could not and chose not to.

I looked up to Tom, but I also resented him. When he 'died' my parents took more interest in me, but it was unwanted. They still wished to have their perfect child back, even tried to mold me into his image. Eventually they had to move on and let go of their fantasy that I would be anything like him. His name is rarely mentioned by my parents now, they find it too heartbreaking to bring up his memory.

I thought I was rid of him decades ago, only to now find out that he has been living life as a bloody vampire! Waltzing back into my life and worming his way into the hearts of my friends. Tom has always gotten whatever he's wanted, but not this time. Sara is mine!

'I am doing this for Sara.' I remind myself.

I sigh internally,'When did I become so selfless? It was so much easier when I could just be an arsehole.'

~

"Leave the coat."

"I'm not leaving the coat."

"You have to leave the coat. Everyone knows your iconic look," Tom argues.

I glare at him,"I agreed to not wear my scarf, but my coat was not part of the deal!"

"Government agents don't wear coats like that-"

"My god, stop being so stubborn!" Sara shouts from our room. The door opens and she stalks out, pulling her jacket on as she passes my brother and I. She pauses halfway out of the flat and gives me a stern look,"Listen to your brother. Tom is in charge for this case, or at least until you get where you need to be. I will be back late, bye." She slams the door shut behind her.

I look back to my brother with narrowed eyes,"Fine."

~

"Now, this company has a top notch security system with dozens of guards roaming the building,"Tom tells me as he drives us toward the location,"I have a pair of government badges that will get us in. Just act natural and it should be a walk in the park. I already called ahead, they think we are here for an inspection." He hands me a government badge with the name, Benedict Cumberbatch, on it.

I glare at him,"Why would you choose such a ridiculous name?" I hiss,"No on would believe this is an actual name."

"It was the only other badge I had with me. No one has ever questioned it before."

"Give me your badge then."

"No, hey back off!" he snaps when I try to check his pockets. The car swerves slightly as he shoves me away.

We quickly settle down when we get close to a guard checkpoint.

"What's your purpose?" The guard questions as we roll up.

Tom hands him his badge and then we are quickly waved through the gate.

"Just remember to do as I told you," Tom tells me softly as he parks the car.

I roll my eyes and get out of the vehicle, strutting toward the entrance without him.

I quickly flash my badge at the guard by the door,"Benedict Cabbagepatch, here to inspect."

The guard looks at me with an eyebrow raised then turns to Tom who finally caught up.

My brother calmly shows his badge to the man,"I am Thomas Sharpe, this is my partner Benedict Cumberbatch. We are here to inspect your facility. We contacted you earlier this week."

The man glances back to me with a skeptical look.

...I now realize that I am holding my badge upside down.

"He's new," Tom adds.

The man nods slowly and radios for his supervisor.

Tom sends me a glare which I ignore. I choose to calmly put away my badge and smile at the guard.

A few minutes later and an older man comes to greet us.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Dan Walsh, director of this facility." He shakes our hands and welcomes us into the building.

As we walk I stretch out my senses to listen in on the other rooms.

This case I received was from a rather distraught woman who's son recently went missing. He worked at this facility which makes weapon parts for the british government. His mother is adamant that he is still here, and that there is human testing happening.

Normally I wouldn't accept a case like this. The boy most likely ran off with a young dame, or something. But what intrigued me, was the fact that he isn't the first person to have gone missing at this facility.

Hopefully we will find some sort of disfigured human test subjects. Maybe I could nab a few samples for my own research.

My ears prick up at the sounds coming from below our feet. "How many levels is this building?" I question the man whose name I have already deleted from memory.

He pauses his conversation with Tom,"Just three."

"Basement?"

"No, just this one floor and two above."

Liar.

I nod and give a fake smile.

"Ah, then this shouldn't take long," Tom comments with a charming smile,"This is just a routine check up anyhow."

The man nods,"Of course. Now, if you will follow me this way-"

"Sorry to interrupt, but where is the loo?" I cut in.

My brother chuckles,"I told you not to drink all of that water on the way here."

I smile sheepishly,"Got to stay hydrated."

"It's just down that hall, last door on the left," the man points to our right. 

I smile my thanks and stride off in the direction he pointed.

Once I am out of sight, I wait until I hear their voices fade before searching for an elevator.

Calmly walking through the empty halls, I find an elevator finally.

"Damn!" I hiss.

There is a key slot and a small panel where the basement button should be. I need a key.

"I think you'll be needing this."

I turn and see Tom waving a key at me. I frown and snatch it from his hand,"How did you get this?"

We enter the elevator and I use the key to open the fake panel to reveal the basement button.

"A skill all vampires need to learn, pickpocketing," he answers with a smile.

"What happened to what's his name?" I question as we ride the elevator down.

"Called in a favor. He should be busy for the next hour or so."

I hum at his vague response. Tom has many connections due to his work with our brother Mycroft.

The doors open and a hallway stretches out before us.

"There are some humans at the end of the hall, tread carefully," Tom murmurs.

I nod and we silently walk down the hall. We pause at a door which when opened reveals a locker room of sorts. Lab coats and other clothing stock the room.

We each grab lab coat and medical mask before entering the hall once again, following it until we reach another door.

The door opens and a large lab is revealed. Five humans dressed in lab coats and masks work diligently around the room.

Tom and I enter calmly, acting as if we work here. I quickly make deductions as we pass by the workers.

They are studying the activity of cells it looks like. What they have done to the cells is a mystery, but they do not look normal. There are no signs of human patients either.

"There is another door over there," Tom tells me softly.

I nod and we stride to the door.

A keypad sits above the door handle. I squint my eyes and notice which buttons have been pressed the most often. Putting in the code, we enter and shut the door behind us.

"Sherlock?"

I pause and turn to my brother,"What?"

His eyes are trained on the door down the hall we just entered. "I smell death."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sorry for the slow updates but with school coming to an end soon I have a lot less time to write my stories. I will try to update at least once a week though.

So I decided to write a brotherly scene with Tom and Sherlock, I think they are just so cute when they bicker with each other :)


	47. Let's go home

Chapter 47:

Sherlock's POV:

I look at the door once more. "Let's not waste time then."

As we get closer to the door I start to smell it too. The overpowering smell of rotting flesh hangs the air like a cloud.

I open the door and slowly enter. It's dark and the smell is even worse. I can hear the buzzing of flies and the dripping of what I can only guess is blood.

"I found a light-switch," my brother comments before the lights start to flicker on.

Bodies. Dozens of bodies fill the room.

"...My god," Tom gasps in horror.

The floor in front of us drops off to a pit where dozens of dead bodies lay. Most of them are weeks old or longer, but I spot a few more recent bodies, one of them I recognize as our client's son.

"So this is what happened to the missing workers," I murmur.

I hear the sound of a door opening. "Hey! You can't be in here!" Someone shouts from behind us.

I quickly turn and use my speed to grab the man and pin him against the wall. "What happened to these people?!" I snarl.

Tom pulls me off of him and grips my shoulders. "Calm down," he tells me,"Your eyes are red. Don't let your bloodlust control you."

I grit my teeth but take his advice and try to calm down. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, once I'm calm I look at my brother and nod for him to let me go. He releases me and turns to the man who is on the ground, dazed from the force I slammed him against the wall with.

Tom picks him up and pins him to the wall, but much more gently than I had. "Tell us everything or I will let him kill you," he threatens the human.

The man gulps and stares at us with terrified eyes. "I-I am just a scientist. I had no part in this!" he stutters.

"You knew people were being killed, you are every bit responsible as the others," I hiss,"Now what happened here?"

"...We have been testing a new drug that will hopefully be the cure to cancer. I don't know where they got the test subjects, they just brought them to us to experiment on. Once they were injected with the cancerous cells, we would give them our serum and studied the growth of cells. ....So far none of the patients have survived."

"I thought this was a weapons facility," Tom says in confusion.

The scientist shakes his head,"That was just a cover. We are actually a cancer research facility. The competition of this research is very high, and we also have many enemies. Those who do not want a cure for cancer because of the money they would lose from it."

Petty humans. They would rather people die then lose some of their precious money.

I turn to my brother,"We found what we needed. We can leave now."

He nods and drops the man.

"W-wait!" The man shouts as we start to walk back down the hallway. "You can't shut us down! There are millions of people counting on our research-"

"From what I could see, you have not gotten any closer to finding a cure. All you achieved was killing dozens of innocent workers who thought they were working for a weapons manufacturing company," I flip.

"...You are not the first to threaten us."

I pause at his remark and turn to see him standing with a dark smile on his face. He slowly raises his arm from behind his back, a phone in his hand.

"Shit!" I hiss. He called for help.

Tom turns to me with wide eyes,"We need to leave, now!"

I nod. I can already hear dozens of feet running toward our location.

We sprint back the way we came and burst into the laboratory. A dozen armed men already stand on the other side of the room, blocking our exit.

The man who welcomed us into the facility stands just behind the gunmen. He smirks at us,"I'm sorry to inform you that you won't be able to finish your inspection gentlemen. We can't afford any bad reports to tarnish our reputation. Now, if you will just come with me-"

"Run!" My brother shouts.

We both dart forward and the guns fire. I dodge the first few bullets but one nicks my leg as I leap over the gunmen to get to the door.

I stumble as I hit the ground, I then feel Tom grab my arm and yank me toward the elevator as the bullet starts to slow me down.

We safely make it inside the elevator and take a breather. I hiss as I dig the bullet out of my calf.

"Running at vampiric speed can be tricky," Tom tells me,"If you try to focus you can slow everything around you and see the world at a much different speed. It makes it easier for us to dodge things."

I nod, dropping the bullet,"I will try that next time."

I hear more humans waiting for us above. "We cannot stay in here," I tell my brother,"They will rush us as soon as the elevator doors open."

He walks to the panel on the wall and smashes it with his fist. "Then we won't stay." He glances up at the ceiling as the elevator jerks to a stop. "There is a maintenance hatch we can crawl through. We can follow the elevator shaft up to another floor where they won't be expecting us."

I nod and wait for him to open the hatch.

We are soon climbing the elevator cables up to the second floor. We pull open the shaft doors and step into an empty hallway.

"It won't be long until they spot us on their security cameras. We need to find an exit," I mutter as I stalk down the hall.

Footsteps thunder up from the stairwell. "There they are!" someone shouts from behind us.

Tom and I sprint into a room. It's a small office with no other doors and only a small window.

"The window it is," my brother says before diving through the glass.

I follow close behind and land in a roll on the ground. Tom and I then sprint toward the trees, using our vampire speed once we are out of sight. We stop a couple miles north of the facility.

I lean my back against a tree as I try to get my breath back. The, for no reason at all, I start to laugh. Tom does as well and soon we are giggling like a couple of idiots. This reminds so much of my first case with John.

"Well, that was disappointing," I comment as I get over the laughing fit.

"We found dozens of bodies!" Tom argues,"I think that counts as an exciting, successful case."

I shrug,"I wasn't able to nab a sample, also it seemed the rumors were true. No surprises there."

My brother stares at me before breaking into a smile. He shakes his head and pats my shoulder,"You haven't changed a bit, Sherlock."

Nor has he. I may have always resented him...but he is still my brother. He was once my best and only friend, maybe Sara was right about giving him another chance.

My eyes soften,"Let's go home."

~

"Well, I see that you haven't killed each other," Sara cheekily comments as we enter the flat,"How'd it go?"

"Wonderful!"

"Fine, I guess."

She pauses then nods,"Okay then. ...I shouldn't have expected anything more." She then gives Tom a hug,"I'm going to bed. Mycroft was working me hard today. I will see you tomorrow then, yes?"

Tom returns the hug and nods wth a smile,"Of course. Goodnight."

Sara kisses my cheek before leaving to our room. Now it is just Tom and I.

My brother clears his throat as the silence hangs in the air,"I should going." He moves toward the door.

"Tom?"

He pauses and glance back at me,"Yes?"

I gulp down my pride and give him a small smile,"...Thank you for helping today. We made a good team."

He chuckles, looking a bit bashful,"I'm no John Watson, but thank you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He leaves and I am left with my thoughts.

"Sherlock? Come tell me what happened," Sara calls from our room.

"Coming."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You guys like the brotherly bonding? Yay? nay? Doesn't matter because I will prob write it anyways :)


	48. The mysterious plaster bust

Chapter 48:

Sara's POV:

"As ever, Watson, you see but do not observe. To you, the world remains an impenetrable mystery, whereas, to me, it is an open book. Hard logic versus romantic whimsy - that is your choice. You fail to connect actions to their consequences," Sherlock drones on,"Now, for the last time, if you want to keep the rattle, do not throw the rattle." He hands the rattle back to little Rosie Watson who is sitting in a baby chair perched on top of John's chair.

Rosie giggles and then throws the rattle in Sherlock's face. I smile from the kitchen as I pour myself a cup of coffee. Across the room, Mary is lying on the sofa fast asleep with one foot up on John's lap as he sits at the other end also asleep.

The poor couple has had some hellish nights over the past few weeks. The baby is a night owl and refuses to let them get any sleep at night. They often come here so they can get a few hours of sleep during the day. They were hesitant at first to leave their child in the hands of two vampires, one also being a high functioning sociopath, but they soon got over it once they saw us interact with the baby.

Sherlock is surprisingly good with Rosie. They have already created a bond, actually he is the only person who can get her to fall asleep in his arms. I think his deep voice lulls her to sleep. It is a sight to see and it warms my heart every time. Rosie has also taking a liking to me. She has yet to puke, poop, or pee on me so I take that as a good sign.

...Being with her is bittersweet though. I have had decades to come to terms with being infertile, but being this close to a child everyday has really made me yearn for one of my own. Seeing how good of a father Sherlock could be doesn't help either. But it won't ever happen, so for the time being I will let Rosie fill the void and take out my motherly instincts on her.

I am pulled from my reverie by the feeling of arms wrapping around my waist.

"Your turn to get hit in the face," Sherlock grumbles as he rests his chin on my shoulder.

I laugh,"You know she didn't mean it."

"I saw intent in her eyes. She knew exactly what she was doing."

I roll my eyes,"She loves you Sherlock." I detach his arms from me and walk into the living room. Sitting in Sherlock's chair, I sip from my cup. "Any cases?"

"Greg says he's got one," Sherlock responds as he walks over and lifts me from the chair so he can sit. He lowers me onto his lap and leans back, closing his eyes,"He's coming over tomorrow."

I nod and take a glance at Rosie. She smiling and staring off in baby land.

At least she is usually quiet when Sherlock and I look after her.

"what is Tom up to?" I ask.

"Don't know, don't care," he responds without opening his eyes.

I send him a glare,"I thought you were bonding with him."

He opens his eyes and mildly glares back at me,"Just because we went on one case together doesn't mean we 'bonded'. If anything it has made me more annoyed of him because of his constant presence here."

"He hasn't been here in weeks." My god he is such a drama queen.

He rolls his eyes and mumbles,"Hasn't that been a miracle."

I take another sip from my coffee before hopping off his lap,"You will thank his presence one day."

~

The next day:

Sherlock is currently sitting in his chair with his hands steepled. I am perched on the arm of the chair and Greg is standing by the door. We are just waiting on John now.

Speak of the devil. John then walks into the flat, greeting us with a smile. "Hey, sorry I'm late." He walks to his chair,"He says you've got a good one, Greg."

"Oh yeah," Greg responds before diving into the case.

I miss the first part of the case as my mind becomes fixated on something else. That 'something' being John Watson. As soon as he walked in I felt... something off. A scent maybe? No, nothing too distinctive. He seems a bit flushed, but that could be from him being late and rushing here. It is probably nothing.

"- Something really weird happens," Greg tells us.

Sherlock smiles, his eyes closed.

"A drunk driver, totally smashed, cops chasing him. He turns into the drive of the Welsborough house to try and get away. But unfortunately he slams into a parked car and the car explodes! The drunk guy survived; they managed to pull him out of his car, but when they put the fire out and examined the parked car..." he pauses dramatically,"A body was found."

"Whose body?" John questions.

Lestrade walks in front of the fireplace,"Charlie Welsborough, the son."

"What?" John says in shock.

I'm still trying to catch up at this point. I will just ask John later for the full details.

"The son who was in Tibet. DNA all checks out. The night of the party, the car's empty, then a week later the dead boy's found at the wheel," Greg tells us.

Sherlock chuckles delightedly.

Lestrade smiles at him,"Yeah, I thought it'd tickle you."

Okay I think I understand.

"Yeah, so Charlie Welsborough's the son of a Cabinet minister ... so I'm under a lot of pressure to get results," Lestrade hints.

Sherlock's eyes snap open,"Who cares about that? Tell me about the seats," he demands.

"The seats?" I question confused.

"Yes. The car seats."

Greg hands both him and John a file of the case.

I look over Sherlock's shoulder at the file. "Two different types of vinyl were found in the car," I read.

"Oh this is interesting," John comments.

"What is?" I ask.

"According to this, Charlie Welsborough had already been dead for a week when they found his body."

My eyes widen,"What?!"

He nods,"The body in the car – dead for a week."

Sherlock smiles excitedly,"Oh, this is a good one. Is it my birthday?"

I smile at his excitement.

"So, will you do it?" Lestrade questions.

Sherlock smirks,"You wouldn't be able to keep me away." He then stands and trots to our room to change out of his robe.

Greg turns to John,"So how is fatherhood?"

John nods,"Good, good. Though we don't get much sleep anymore."

I smile and walk over to them,"She is adorable." I turn to John,"You really should just drop her off here at night since Sherlock and I rarely sleep when it is dark."

Greg looks apprehensive,"...How are you two with the baby?" he quickly glances to John then back to me,"I-I mean how does Rosie feel about you both?"

I smile softly at his awkwardness,"Like everyone else, she does not know what we are. She acts like she would with anyone else. We won't hurt her, Greg. Or you. Please know that."

He sighs and looks down at his feet,"I know. It's just strange to be around you- well around Sherlock- since he became...well you know."

"A vampire, Greg."

He nods,"Yes, that. I know you wouldn't cause harm to me... but Sherlock I'm not so confident about. He has hurt Anderson more times than one."

I sigh,"...Sherlock is still getting used to being a vampire. Please don't hold that against him. He is still the same asshole you have come to love over the years."

He chuckles,"Love is not a word I would use."

Sherlock then stalks out of our room, pulling on his coat as he passes us. "Let's go," he tells us, grabbing his scarf on his way out of the flat.

It is a good thing Sherlock rarely uses his enhanced hearing. He is usually too immersed in his mind palace.

~

We are currently walking up the drive of the Welsborough's manor.

"Charlie's family are pretty cut up about it, as you'd expect, so go easy on them, yeah?" Lestrade says to my boyfriend.

Sherlock smirks,"You know me."

"That is what I'm afraid of," Greg mutters.

We enter the house and are soon in a sitting room with Mr and Mrs Welsborough.

"Mr and Mrs Welsborough. I really am most terribly sorry to hear about your daughter," Sherlock tries to sound sincere but fails miserably by getting the gender of their child wrong.

"Son." John whispers.

"Son!" Sherlock adds with a fake smile.

I fight the urge to face palm.

Greg clears his throat,"Mr and Mrs Welsborough, this is Mr Sherlock Holmes, and Ms Sara Knightly."

Mr Welsborough smiles softly,"Thank you very much for coming. We've heard a great deal about you both. If anyone can throw any light into this darkness, surely it will be you two."

Sherlock smiles,"Well, I believe that we ..." he trails off when something catches his attention. He is staring intently at a small table, a shrine of sorts almost. There are several pictures of the same woman, an invitation, and a small commemorative plate with a painting of her. I don't know who the woman is though.

"We can!" I finish for Sherlock.

Mr Welsborough starts to talk about his son but I notice that Sherlock has lost all focus on the man, and is still staring intently at the table.

Taking a closer look at the table myself, I spot a dust ring. Something that used to sit on the table is missing. A quick sniff of the air tells it was something made of plaster. I wonder what else Sherlock has noticed?

"Sherlock?" John hisses.

No answer.

Mr Welsborough frowns,"Mr Holmes?"

Sherlock suddenly snaps out of it. "Sorry. You were saying?"

"Well, Charlie was our whole world. I ... I don't think we'll ever get over this."

Nodding, Sherlock turns his head toward the table again. "No, shouldn't think so," he mumbles, his tone indifferent.

The couple stares at him oddly, looking a bit offended.

I clear my throat and grab Sherlock's arm,"So sorry. Will you excuse us a moment?" I steer us toward the table without waiting for their response.

John follows us,"Now what's wrong?" he whispers.

"Not sure yet."

Sherlock glances back at the couple,"What is this?" he gestures to the table.

"Oh, it's a sort of shrine, I suppose," Mr Welsborough replies. "Bit of a fan of Mrs T. Big hero of mine when I was getting started."

Sherlock and I both smile,"Right, yes." Though I'm sure he has no idea who this woman is either.

"Who?" And it looks like I am right once again.

Mr Welsborough frowns,"What?"

"Who is this?" He gestures to the table.

"Are you serious? It's-it's Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of this country!"

Sherlock nods,"Right." He bends down and looks at the table from all angles, his mind whirling. "It's the gap," he finally decides,"Look at the gap. It's wrong. There is a dust ring where something once sat."

Mr Welsborough nods,"Yes, a-"

"-Plaster bust," I cut in.

Mr Welsborough looks at me startled,"...Yes, actually."

Mrs Welsborough lets out an aspirated sigh,"Oh, for God's sake. It got broken! What the hell has this got to do with Charlie?"

Sherlock stands straight and shouts,"Rug!" as he points at the rug beneath the table.

"What?"

"Well, how could it get broken?" my boyfriend questions,"The only place for it to fall is the floor, and there is a big thick rug."

"Does it matter?"

"Mrs Welsborough, my apologies," John says regretfully,"It is worth letting him do this."

"We had a break in, nothing else was taken except that bust. It was strangely found broken on our porch the next morning though," Mr Welsborough explains.

"Is your friend quite mad?" Ms Welsborough questions John.

"No, he's an arsehole, but it's an easy mistake."

I roll my eyes at them and put my hand on Sherlock's shoulder to stop him from aggravating the woman even more. "We know what happened to your son," I announce.

Everyone goes silent.

The parents stare at me hopefully.

"You do?"

"It's quite simple. Superficial, to be blunt," Sherlock mutters,"But first, tell me: the night of the break-in. This room was in darkness?"

"Well, yes."

"And the porch where it was smashed: I noticed the motion sensor was damaged, so I assume it's permanently lit."

"So you're saying he smashed it where he could see it," John says.

"Exactly."

"Why?"

"Dunno. Wouldn't be fun if I knew."

Mrs Welsborough is now close to tears,"Mr Holmes, please!"

Sherlock straightens up and turns towards them. He takes a breath.  
"It was your fiftieth birthday, Mr Welsborough; of course you were disappointed that your son hadn't made it back from his gap year. After all, he was in Tibet."

"Yes."

"No."

Mr Welsborough frowns in confusion,"No?"

"The first part of your conversation was a pre-recorded video," I tell them,"The trick was meant to be a surprise."

"Trick?"

"Obviously," Sherlock rolls his eyes.

I smack his arm and turn back to the family,"There were two types of vinyl in the burnt-out remains of the car: one the actual passenger seat; the other a copy."

"Effectively a costume. What he wanted was for you to get close enough to the car so he could spring the surprise," Sherlock tells them. "That's when it happened. I can't be certain, of course, but I think Charlie must have suffered some sort of a seizure. You said he'd felt unwell?"

I did not figure out this part. Poor kid.

"He died there and then. No-one had any cause to go near his car, so there he remained in the driver's seat hidden until the crash. When the two cars were examined, the fake seat had melted in the fire, revealing Charlie, who'd been sitting there quite dead for a week."

Mrs Welsborough breaks down into tears,"Oh, God!"

Sherlock gazes at them with pity,"Really, I'm so sorry. Mr Welsborough, Mrs Welsborough," he says softly before swiftly leaving the room.

I bow my head to the couple,"My condolences," I then take my leave.

Sherlock is out on the porch examining the concrete where the bust was smashed.

"What's so important about a broken bust of Margaret Thatcher?" John questions from beside me.

I shrug,"Must be something if it is bugging him this much."

Sherlock stands up from the ground looking agitated,"I can't stand it. That nagging feeling tugging at the back of my mind." He walks to the cab that had been waiting. "That's mine. You three take a ... bus."

I cross my arms and John chuckles. "Why?"

"I need to concentrate, and I don't want to hit you." He gets in the cab and leaves.

Well, this is not unusual. I turn to John and Greg,"Want to get lunch?"

They smile.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Long chapter :) Hope you liked it.


	49. What are you, the vampire police?

Chapter 49:

Sara's POV:

"Anything to add, John? John?" Sherlock stares with confusion at the balloon with a drawn face that sits in John's chair.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, listening," John calls from the kitchen.

"What is that?" The sociopath questions.

John walks into the room,"That is... me. Well, it's a me substitute."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Sherlock scoffs,"You know I value your little contributions."

John crosses his arms,"Yeah? It's been there since nine this morning."

"Has it? Where were you?"

"Helping Mrs H with her sudoku."

Sherlock frowns then looks at his arm rest where I am usually perched. "Where is Sara?"

I roll my eyes from my place next to the window.

"What about my girlfriend?" The almost forgotten client buts in.

Sherlock frowns at him,"What?"

"You said I had an ex..." The man murmurs.

Sherlock waves him off dismissively,"Never mind that. Where is Sara?"

"Behind you," I call out.

He turns with a surprised look on his face when he sees Tom sitting at the desk next to me. I roll my eyes,"You really need to use your senses more often."

"Why are you here?" he questions his brother.

Tom shows him the file we are going over,"Mycroft gave us a case."

Sherlock reads it then looks at me with a raised eyebrow,"Want some help?"

That is surprising. He never offers help. "We got it," I tell him,"You have the Thatcher case to work on."

He lets out a humph and turns back around in his chair.

I smile and shake my head. It is for the best, the case Tom and I are working on could be dangerous, though most of Sherlock's cases are too, but this one involves vampires and I don't want him around them.

People all over London have been reporting strange scars on their bodies, most are blaming it on aliens, but I know better. Blood bags have been reported missing from hospitals as well. Normally this is how a vampire should survive, by not killing humans. But when it becomes this much of a nuisance and people start talking... something needs to be done about it. Tom and I are going track down the vampires doing this and talk to them. Well, hopefully we can just talk and not end up having to kill anyone... but something tells me that likely won't happen.

"Sara, are you coming?" John asks.

I look up from my report,"Huh?"

He smiles,"We are off to meet some hacker named Toby."

"Tom and I are going to investigate the vampire problem. If we finish early we may be able to help you and Sherlock." I stand and walk toward my room, pausing next to John for a moment,"Keep him out of trouble, please."

He cracks a smile,"I will try, but you know how he is."

I nod and walk away, mumbling,"Yes I do."

~

Our sources led us to an abandoned warehouse on the east side of London. Hopefully the vampires there will not want a fight and we can close this case quickly.

"Stay alert," Tom says softly,"We don't know if we can trust them."

I nod and continue down the hall of the warehouse.

We enter a large room filled with dozens of vampires. A man with dark skin greets us with a wide smile.

"Welcome, fellow vampires," he says loudly in a thick British accent,"Have you come to join our group?"

Tom frowns,"No. Actually we have come here to talk."

The man raises an eyebrow,"Talk? Follow me then." He leads us in a smaller room away from the others. He closes the door behind us and moves to sit behind a desk. "My name is Adam, I am the leader of our group. Now, may I ask why you sought us out if not to join?"

I step forward. "People are starting to notice scars on their bodies. You and your group are feeding too frequently in too dense of an area. You need to split up your group and spread out your feedings before things get worse."

The vampire raises an eyebrow at us and chuckles,"And why would I listen to you? What are you, the vampire police?"

I shrug and cross my arms,"Pretty much."

Tom flashes his government badge. "We are also a lot stronger and older than you."

The vampire stands, a dark look in his eyes,"There are only two of you, and many of us. I don't think you should be picking fights," he threatens, then seems to calm himself as he realizes a fight would not be beneficial. "We don't kill humans, isn't that enough for you?" He sighs,"Okay. We will slow our feedings on the humans in the immediate area. I think we have enough donors to keep us going anyway."

I raise an eyebrow,"Donors?"

He smiles,"I will show you."

I glance at Tom, but he only shrugs and follows the man out of the room.

Adam leads us down a flight of stairs and we enter a basement of sorts. My eyes widen as I look upon the scene before me.

Dozens of malnourished humans are chained to the walls and floor of the room. Most with scars, bite marks, and dirt covering their bodies. Some look like they haven't seen daylight in weeks.

"W-what have you done?" I gasp.

Adam smiles as he looks at his 'donors'. "We found that this is much more efficient when those of us are wounded or just don't feel like going out to feed. Bottled blood goes bad, but as long as we keep these alive, we have a never ending supply."

"These are people!" Tom snarls,"You cannot keep them caged here like animals!"

Adam looks surprised,"We have not killed any of them. I don't see why you are so angered by this. We as vampires are at the top of the food chain. Humans raise cattle as a food source, we are doing the same in a way."

Vampires like this make me sick. They think they are so much better than humans because they are stronger. They believe that they are above society and in turn don't have to follow the rules or morals humans live by. 

Vampires were all human once, I just can't believe how many of them give in to the power we vampires hold. I have given into the power before, and it made me feel sick. I hated what I did and how the power controlled me. I may not be entirely friendly with humans at times, but I treat them as I did when I was also human. 

I clench my hands into fists and glance at Tom,"I think we are done here."

~

I kick open the door and step out into the large common room where the other vampires await.

"Stand down, or die!" I tell them simply, raising my right arm high. In my hand in the head of their leader.

Fear spreads through the eyes of those around us. They are unsure what to do, many are only days old vampires.

Tom steps forth,"We will teach you how to survive, but most of you must leave this area after."

Several of them shout in anger. "You cannot make us leave!"

"This is our home!"

I shrug,"Leave or die. There are too many of you to live here without being exposed and I will not let you continue to keep humans here as slaves."

Several of the vampires back down, but at least two dozen do not.

I sigh. 'Why is it never easy?'

Chucking the severed head at one of them, I flit to one and rip out his heart before moving to another. Tom joins me and we soon make quick work of the ones that refused our offer.

'RINGGGG!'

"Shit." I duck as a vampire throws a punch at me before tackling him to the ground. I feel around my pocket for my phone. "Hello?" I answer as I slit the vampire's throat with the nails of my left hand.

'Uh sorry to call,' Greg apologizes from the other end,'I know you are probably busy.'

"Oh nooo, not at all," I respond sarcastically as I roundhouse kick another vampire. "Why did you call?"

'Well... we got a call of a break in and we found Sherlock at the scene of the crime. He was pretty beaten up. He assured us that he only broke in to capture the bad guy, but I don't know to be honest,' Lestrade explains,'He split after telling us a short story of what happened. He's probably back at the flat now. ...I just thought that you should know since he was adamant about me 'not' telling you about this.'

I growl,"Thanks for telling me, Greg." I hang up and leap onto a vampire's back, snapping his neck with the anger Sherlock brought on.

"...Something wrong?" Tom asks.

I stand and notice that we have killed all the rogue vampires. I sigh and shake my head,"Sherlock has gotten into some trouble."

Tom lets out a breath,"Well, no surprise there. Want me to finish up with these while you go tend to my brother?"

I smile,"Please." I give him a quick hug before turning to the remaining vampires. "Tom will get you guys settled somewhere nice and he will teach you how to live safely as a vampire. Good luck." I then flit to 221b in search of my boyfriend.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	50. Sherlock the dragon slayer

Chapter 50:

Sara's POV:

I barge into the flat with fire in my eyes.

"Sherlock! What the hell did you do this time?!" I shout.

John was pacing by the fireplace when I stormed in. He simply pointed down the hall when he saw the look on my face.

I quickly make my way to Sherlock's room and slam open the door. "Sherlock-" My anger quickly fades once I see his bruised face. I slowly take a seat on his bed,"...What happened?" I ask in a softer tone.

He is laying on his bed and turns his back to me stubbornly.

I sigh,"Come on Sherlock. I just ran all the way here. Why did you break into someone's home?"

He turns and glares at me,"I did not-" he pauses,"I-I only broke in to capture the culprit of the Thatcher case."

I raise an eyebrow and look him over,"Well it looks like he beat you up and got away."

Sherlock turns over again. I sigh and turn him back,"What happened? How did he get the jump on you?"

He sits up and leans back against his headboard. "I found the location of another Thatcher bust so I broke in and waited for him to show. I thought the black pearl was in the bust and he was after it, that was the case Mycroft has been bugging me to take on," he explains.

I nod,"Was the pearl there?"

He looks down at his clenched hand,"No. This was." His hand opens and my breath catches in my throat.

It's the flash drive that Mary told us had all of her past on it.

I frown,"B-but John threw that into the fire, it was destroyed."

"I know."

"What is that then?"

He shakes his head,"I am going to ask Mary that."

I clench my hands into fists. I gave Mary a chance, one chance to prove she is truly our friend...and now this. She has become a close friend of mine, I hope she has not been lying to us... for her sake. She shot the love of my life once already, I will not stand by and let her do it again.

I stand,"Well let's get going then. The sooner we talk to her the better."

He nods and goes to stand but I stop him,"First, tell me how you got so beat up."

He glowers at me but lets out a sigh,"Fine! I couldn't control my powers and ended up tripping. He got away and managed to shoot me." He lifts his bloody shirt to show me his almost healed bullet wound.

I let out a sigh,"Sherlock, you really need to stop getting shot," I scold,"This weekend we are training our powers. No buts!"

He looks like he wants to argue but thinks better of it. He stands, quickly changing his shirt for a clean one then strides to the door. "Let's go."

~

Sherlock leads me to an old church, one of his many hidden spots founded by his network of homeless people I presume. He fills me in on the details of the fight as we light a couple candles and wait for Mary to arrive.

We sit in a brooding silence until it is finally broken by the sound of footsteps nearing the church. Mary then enters the building.

"I am an idiot. I know nothing," Sherlock says softly, bowing his head.

Mary smiles and pockets her phone,"Well, I've been telling you that for ages," she glances at me then back to my boyfriend,"That was quite a text you sent me. What's going on, Sherlock?"

He says nothing, only holds up the flash drive.

Mary's eyes widen,"Oh my God. That's-"

"Yes, it's an AGRA memory stick like you gave John, except this one belongs to someone else," I say, narrowing my eyes at her. "Who?"

Mary gulps,"I don't know. We-we all had one, but the others- Well, haven't you even looked at it yet?"

"I glanced at it," Sherlock murmurs, locking eyes with her,"But I'd prefer to hear it from you."

"Why?"

"Because I'll know the truth when I hear it."

Mary sighs,"Okay. There were four of us. Agents."

"Not just agents," I comment.

Mary gives me a look,"Polite term. Alex; Gabriel; me; and Ajay." She points to the flash drive. "There was absolute trust between us. The memory sticks guaranteed it. We all had one, each containing aliases, our background, everything. We could never be betrayed because we had everything we needed to destroy the other."

"For years we were at the top of our game, but then it all ended," she continues,"There was a coup in Georgia. The British embassy in Tbilisi was taken over; lots of hostages. We got the call to go in, get them out. There was a change of plan, a last-minute adjustment."

"Who from?"

Mary shrugs,"I don't know. Just another voice on the phone, and a code word, 'Ammo'."

I frown and cross my arms,"Ammo?"

She nods,"Like 'ammunition.' We went in, but then something went wrong. It was a trap and we were ambushed. I was the only one that made it out."

"No," Sherlock murmurs and reaches for his laptop,"I met someone tonight: the same someone who's looking for the sixth Thatcher." He puts in the flash drive and pulls up a couple files.

Mary walks a bit closer and gasps at the picture on the screen,"Oh my God. That's Ajay. That's him. He's alive?"

"Yeah, very much so," Sherlock grumbles, his hand going to where he was shot.

Mary stares at the laptop in surprised delight,"I don't believe it! This is amazing! Where is he? I need to see him now!"

"Mary, I'm sorry to tell you this, but he wants you dead."

Mary shakes her head vigorously,"Sorry, no. We-we were family."

"There is no family among thieves," I say softly.

Mary glares at me,"We weren't thieves!"

"No, you were assassins," I spit.

"Enough!" Sherlock stops us. He looks back to Mary,"I heard it from his own mouth. 'Tell her she's a dead woman walking'."

Mary frowns,"Why would he want to kill me?"

"He said you betrayed him."

"That's insane!"

Sherlock shrugs,"Well, it's what he believes."

Mary lets out a long breath and sinks onto a chair. "I suppose I was always afraid this might happen; that something in my past would come back to haunt me one day." She groans,"God, I just wanted a bit of peace, and I really thought I had it."

Sherlock stands and walks to her,"No. Mary, you do. I made a vow, remember?"

She stares up at him.

"To look after the three of you," Sherlock reminds her.

She smiles slightly,"Sherlock the dragon slayer."

I snort at that.

"Stay close to me and I will keep you safe from him," Sherlock tells her,"I promise you." He then glances at me,"So will Sara, right dear?"

I glare at him then turn my attention to Mary. "You have become one of my closest friends, Mary," I tell her,"But I will not let you hurt Sherlock again. I won't be as forgiving if something like that happens again," I warn.

She nods,"Of course. I don't blame you for being suspicious, just know that I would never hurt you or Sherlock. You are just as much family to me as John and Rosie are." Mary turns back to Sherlock and smiles,"Thank you for this." She stands and pulls him in for a hug.

I frown when I see Sherlock start to waver on his feet. "Sherlock?"

He suddenly drops to the ground unconscious. I rush to his side and check his breathing,"Sherlock! Mary, what happened-" I hiss as I feel something prick my neck. Looking up, I see Mary staring down at me with a syringe in her hand. I feel myself losing consciousness fast, and soon I am sinking to the floor next to my boyfriend.

"It's all right," Mary says softly,"It's for the best, believe me." I see her grab the flash drive and back away to the door,"Look after them until I'm back. I'm sorry."

My vision becomes fuzzy. "You bitch..." I hiss before the darkness consumes me.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	51. Save the Queen

Chapter 51:

Sara's POV:

We woke up hours later to find Mary gone and the flash drive missing as well. Sherlock and I decided to visit Mycroft to see if he knew anything about Mary's past.

~

"Agra?" Mycroft questions. We are currently sitting in his office.

"AGRA is an acronym," Sherlock tells him.

The elder brother smiles,"Oh, good. I love an acronym. All the best secret societies have them."

"Team of agents, the best," Sherlock narrows his eyes,"But you know all that."

"Of course I do," Mycroft brags,"Go on."

"One of them, Ajay, is looking for Mary, also one of the team."

"Indeed? Well, that's news to me."

I raise an eyebrow surprised,"Is it?"

Mycroft gives me a sarcastic smile.

"He's already killed looking for that memory stick," Sherlock tells him,"AGRA always worked for the highest bidder. I thought that might include you."

His brother frowns,"Me?"

"Well, I mean the British government or whatever government you're currently propping up."

Mycroft sits back and clasps his hands together on his desk,"AGRA were very reliable; then came the Tbilisi incident. They were sent in to free the hostages but it all went horribly wrong. And that was that. We stopped using freelancers."

"Your initiative?" I ask.

He nods,"My initiative. Freelancers are too woolly; too messy. I don't like loose ends – not on my watch."

Sherlock leans forward and pulls a notepad across the desk towards himself. "There was something else; a detail, a code word," he murmurs as he writes "AMMO" on the notepad, then turns it round to face his brother.

Mycroft frowns at the notepad,"AMMO?"

"It's all we've got."

"Little enough."

"Could you do some digging, as a favor?"

Mycroft smirks,"You don't have many favors left."

"Then do it as a favor for me," I interject with a smirk,"You owe me enough of them."

Mycroft hums then glances at his brother,"And if you can find who's after her and neutralise them, what then? You think you can go on saving her forever?"

"Of course," Sherlock answers nonchalantly. "I made a promise, a vow."

Mycroft lets out a sigh,"All right. I'll see what I can do." He leans forward,"But remember this, brother mine: agents like Mary tend not to reach retirement age. They get retired in a pretty permanent sort of way."

Sherlock then says with fierce determination,"Not on my watch." He then turns and leaves the room.

I start to follow but Mycroft stops me. "Sara? A word, please."

I raise an eyebrow,"Yes?"

"I have a mission for you."

I groan,"Not now, Mycroft. I can't just leave-"

"Yes, you can. The jobs I give you cannot be postponed, you know this," he tells me in all seriousness,"I know Mary is your friend, but Sherlock and John can handle things. You have more important matters to attend to."

I cross my arms in bitter acceptance. "Fine. What is the mission?"

"You are to act as a guard for the Queen."

My jaw drops to the floor. "A-are you serious?! The Queen?"

He scoffs,"Of course I am serious. This is a highly confidential mission which you may not reveal the details to anyone."

I nod, gathering myself together. "My orders?"

He sits back in his chair,"It has been rumored that someone is planning an assassination attack on the Queen. You are meant to act as an undercover guard and protect her at all costs."

"When do I start?"

"Tonight. This contains your cover story," he slides me a file. "Read it. Memorize it. Burn it. A car will pick you up at midnight, so be ready."

I sigh and nod.

I am used to jobs like this. Mycroft often springs them on me on short notice and I have little choice but to take them. He is right though, the criminals won't just hold off for awhile because I don't feel like doing a mission. I am one of Mycroft's best, I can't afford to be selfish when lives are at stake.

I leave for Baker street and find Sherlock and John waiting for me at the flat.

Sherlock is busy on his laptop while John sits in his chair with a sullen look on his face. Rosie is in her playpen, making soft gurgling sounds as she plays with her toys.

"The tracker we planted in the flash drive worked. She is currently on a plane moving north," Sherlock informs me as he types away,"Once she lands we will watch her moves before following after her. I don't know how long it will take, but we will find her." He looks up and glances to his friend,"I promise, John."

John says nothing, only stares at a letter I now see in his hands. Must be from Mary.

I clear my throat,"I don't know if I will be able to come with you."

They both turn to me with surprised looks. "Why not?"

"Mycroft gave me a mission I couldn't refuse. I'm sorry I won't be of any help."

John stands, looking angry. "What could be more important than-"

"The Queen."

His eyes widen and he goes silent.

"When do you leave?" Sherlock questions.

I look at him,"Tonight. I don't know how long I will gone."

He nods and walks to me. "Stay safe," he tells me as he pulls me into a hug,"I don't want to come looking for you as well."

I smile and lay my head on his chest. "You stay safe too. Oh and slap Mary for me. I'm still pissed that she drugged us."

His chest rumbles as he lets out a chuckle. He releases me and I go to our room to pack my things.

After packing, I read over my alias.

Name: Ally Whitman

Born: Westminster, United Kingdom 

Age: 25

Occupation: Queen's personal handmaiden

Wait. Handmaiden? I really hope they don't expect me to clean and fetch things for the royal highness. 

The rest of the file is just outline the details of mission and the possible suspects to look out for. By the time I'm done reading, a car has arrived for me outside.

I give John a hug before Sherlock walks me out to the car.

"Stay out of trouble," I order as I hug him one last time.

He smirks and kisses my lips,"No promises."

I roll my eyes and get in the car.

I hope things go well for them and they find Mary. While I am still mad at her, and not fully trusting, she is needed here. Her family needs her, and that includes Sherlock and I.

~

3 month's later:

Months have passed since I started my mission. So far everything has been quiet, no attempts have been made on the Queen's life and Sherlock told me that they found Mary.

They tracked her down finally and talked some sense into her. Apparently that assassin, Ajay, followed them and a shoot out occurred. Ajay was killed, and Sherlock got information on the person who sold out Mary's team all those years ago. An english woman was who did it.(Ajay thought it was Mary, which was not true.) Sherlock thinks it might be Lady Smallwood, she works with Mycroft. While I don't know all the details, I don't think it was her. I feel that we are missing something. Too bad I am of no help at the moment.

The Queen is a sweetheart. She knows my mission and doesn't treat me like her other servants (thank god for that). So all the duties of handmaiden are done by another girl while I pose as her. My job is essentially to be around the Queen 24/7. It is fairly dull but the Queen is wonderful to talk with. With her being as old as she is, we have been able to bond over the past. I don't have the chance to do this often since I don't look my age, it's nice. The Queen knows of my secret, which makes my overall job easier in the long run.

"Madam," a guard nods to me as I pass him.

I nod and continue walking. I then pause and backpedal. "Tom?!"

Tom stands next to a door, dressed in red and white uniform, with one of those fluffy hats on his head. He smirks down at me,"Hello, Sara."

"What are you doing here?" I question, still in shock.

"Since you cannot leave the Queen's side, Mycroft wanted another agent to snoop around," he smiles brightly,"That agent being me."

I smile and reach up to touch his hat,"You look so cute."

He blushes faintly which makes me laugh. "I thought you guards aren't supposed to smile or show emotion," I tease.

"Im not a real guard," he counters.

"Hm. Touche. Have you spoken with Sherlock recently?" I question softly, glancing to where the Queen is sitting. We are in one of the main sitting rooms for tea time. It is just us three at the moment.

He shakes his head,"No, but Mycroft called me. Apparently Sherlock has a lead on who ratted out AGRA, though he wouldn't tell Mycroft who."

I roll my eyes,"Of course he wouldn't. Well that is good nonetheless."

He nods,"I have to get back to my post. Oh, and be on the lookout for a tall man with dark hair, and he was wearing a grey suit. I spotted him this morning and he seemed suspicious."

I nod,"Thanks for the heads up."

He leaves and I move to sit near the Queen.

"Was he a friend of yours?" she asks, smiling at me.

I nod.

"He was cute."

I giggle and shake my head,"He is, but I have a boyfriend."

She smiles brightly,"Oh, that's nice."

A guard enters the room after knocking. "Lord Tindle has arrived, my Queen."

She nods,"Thank you, Thompson."

Moments later a man walks in. I instantly go on guard once I see him. He is just as Tom described. Dark hair, tall, dressed in a grey suit.

He walks up to the Queen and bows, kissing her hand. "My Queen, you haven't aged a day," he tells her.

She smiles,"You are too kind."

He sits across from her and a maid walks in with a tray of tea. I watch the man's every move as he and the Queen talk about an upcoming event.

I can feel danger, it has to be the man. He is the assassin!

Just then, Tindle reaches into his coat pocket. I react quickly and lunge across the table to grab his arm.

"Ally!" The Queen says in surprise.

"He is the assassin!" I tell her,"He was going to shoot-" I trail off as I pull his hand from his pocket. A letter. It's just a letter. I frown,"B-but..."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Tindle shouts, ripping his arm from my grasp.

Something is wrong. The assassin is near, I know it. But if not Tindle, then who?

I faintly hear the Queen apologizing for my actions, but I ignore them and scan the room for danger. A faint smell then hits my nose. My eyes widen and I turn toward the Queen. "Don't drink that!" I shout and swipe her cup of tea from her. Ignoring her protests, I take a whiff of her tea.

"Thallium," I mutter. Turning to the door, I shout for the guards.

Three men dressed in uniforms come rushing in. "What's wrong, Miss?" One of them questions.

I set down the cup,"The Queen has been poisoned. Take her to the palace doctor immediately," I order.

"Poisoned?!" The Queen gasps.

I nod,"Thallium, it is a nearly undetectable poison with delayed effects. If you get treated now you should be fine."

"Where are you going?" Another guard questions. I start toward the door.

"To find the culprit."

It was the maid. It's always the maid! How could I be so blind? She must have snuck the poison into the tea, no one would have expected that from a maid working at the palace.

Picking up the maid's scent, I quickly make my way through the halls following it to the servants quarters. Finding her room, I slam open the door and see the maid in the midst of packing. She turns to me with a surprised and fearful expression.

I smirk,"How about pack before you attempt to murder someone, yeah?" I stalk to her and knock her out with a swift punch to the face.

Yes, this mission is finally over! I miss Sherlock and the others.

Pulling out my phone, I dial Tom's number.

'Sara?'

"I caught the assassin," I tell him,"She was posing as a maid. The Queen is currently being treated for Thallium, but I think she is going to be fine. I caught it soon enough, but you should still be on stand in case she needs vampire blood."

'Okay, I will make my way to her now. Are you alright? Where are you?'

"I am in the servant quarters. I knocked the assassin out. I'm going to call up Mycroft to retrieve her so I can get home-" My phone vibrates. I look at the screen and see that someone is trying to call me. "Speak of the devil. Mycroft is calling me. I will talk to you later."

'Alright. Good job, Sara.'

I end the call and answer Mycroft. "Hey, Mycie. I was just going to call you," I tell him with a smile,"I just caught the assassin."

He is silent a moment. '...That is great, Sara.'

I frown,"...Is everything alright?"

'No. No, it's not,' he takes a deep breath,'Mary's been shot.'

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Mary's scene is coming. I know I will be in tears when writing it, so be prepared folks.


	52. 'So many lies. I don't just mean you.'

Chapter 52:

3rd person POV:

'So many lies. I don't just mean you.'

FLASHBACK:

John is currently riding a bus back to Baker street. Lestrade has a case apparently.

A few seats away sits a red-haired woman. She glances at John and gives him a flirty smile.

John catches her eye then looks away, smiling to himself. He looks toward the woman again.

She smiles and licks her lips then bites her lower lip.

John clears his throat and looks away. He gets off the bus and looks into the side window of the bus, seeing his reflection and the toy flower tucked behind his ear.

John groans,"Oh, shit."

He takes the flower from his ear and sighs as the bus pulls away. He turns, and the woman from the bus is standing beside him, smiling.

"Hello," she says in a Scottish accent.

John looks a little surprised,"Ah. Hello."

"I like your daisy," she tells him.

John chuckles embarrassed,"Thank you. It's not really me, though, I don't think."

"No?"

"No, it's too floral for me," he tells her, then jokes,"I'm more of a knackered-with-weary-old-eyes kind of guy."

"Well, I think they're nice," she pauses, looking a little shy,"Nice eyes."

John laughs,"Thank you!" He has a look of disbelief. Unbelieving that this pretty woman is flirting with him.

The woman looks down,"L-Look... I don't normally do this but, um ..." she starts to rummage in her handbag. She then pulls out a piece of paper and scribbles down her number. She holds it out to John.

"What's this?" He asks, still unsure if she is actually flirting with him.

"This is me." She hands him the paper and backs away, smiling nervously and rubbing the back of her head.

John stares at the paper with wide eyes,"T-Thank you."

The woman turns away quickly. "Bye!" She calls.

"Bye...." He stares after her, frowning in mild disbelief, then looks down at the paper and smiles. He turns and walks in the opposite direction but then stops, looking at the paper again and still smiling. He puts down his briefcase and takes his phone from his pocket. Unlocking it, he sees his screensaver picture of him sitting on the sofa at home with his arm around his wife who is cradling their newborn daughter. They are both smiling, looking like a happy family.

He looks up, grimacing, and takes a couple of steps to a nearby garbage bin. He goes to throw the paper away, but then hesitates.

~

It's night now. John and Mary are both in bed, trying to get some sleep before the baby starts crying again.

"You'd think we'd have noticed when she was born," Mary mumbles, her eyes closed as she lays in bed half asleep.

"Hm? Noticed what?" John asks with a yawn, keeping his eyes closed as well.

"The little '666' on her forehead."

John chuckles,"How did we miss it?"

From the next bedroom, Rosie starts to cry. John opens his eyes and lifts his head slightly and they both look in the direction of the sound. John groans and drops his head back onto the pillow. Mary throws back her side of the duvet and gets up.

"Coming, darling," she soothes.

John yawns and rubs his eyes. On his bedside table, his phone buzzes an incoming message. He rolls over and picks up the phone. John looks at his phone and frowns at the message.

E: It's been too long.

John looks across the room towards Rosie's bedroom as Mary continues to try and soothe the crying baby. He then replies to E.

John: I know. Sorry.

After a few moments, the reply comes back:

E: Miss you.

John pauses then glances at the time.

John: You're up late.

John watches the door, making sure Mary isn't coming back yet.

E: Or early.

John: Night owl?

E: Vampire

John smirks then slowly frowns as he contemplates the message. Knowing that vampires are real, he is unsure if she is joking.

"Oh, you're not gonna stop crying, are you?" Mary coos from the other room,"I know. Shall we go see Daddy?"

Quickly typing and sending one last message.

John: :)

John rolls over and puts the phone face down on the bedside table.

Mary then walks into the room,"Look, it's Daddy!" she says to Rosie.

John sits up,"I'll take her."

Mary hands him the baby. He holds her close and rocks her. "Come here, darling. It's all right." He kisses the baby's cheek and Mary gets back into bed.

~

It's daytime. John is sitting on another bus. He starts a new message in his phone.

John: This isn't a good idea.  
I'm not free.  
Things won't end well.  
It was nice to get to know you a little.

He pauses and gets off the bus, then adds to his message.

I'm sorry.

Sighing, he sends the message. He looks around and sees that the mystery woman is sitting on the bus stop bench smiling at him. John smiles and her own smile widens. John grimaces a bit, and looks down at his phone and the sent message, then looks across to the woman again.  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> John how could you?! Ugh I was furious when watching this scene. Cheating really makes me rage, like you have no idea.
> 
> Okay, so I didn't add this to make you all hate on John...well I did... but also to add to the feels later on. I still love my little hedgehog, but he has definitely lost my respect.


	53. Nothing will be the same after this

Chapter 53:

3rd person POV:

It's nighttime. Sherlock is currently walking through the Sea Life London Aquarium housed inside County Hall. He makes his way along the blue-lit corridors and through the glass tunnels under the water.

'Ladies and gentlemen, the Aquarium will be closing in five minutes. Please make your way to the exit. Thank you.' An announcement is heard on the speakers.

Sherlock continues onwards until he reaches an enclosed area with benches where people can sit and look at the various tanks all around. An elderly woman is sitting on one of the benches with her back to him.

"Your office said I'd find you here," Sherlock says.

The woman continues to look forward at the sea creatures. "This was always my favorite spot for agents to meet. We're like them: ghostly, living in the shadows." She turns to look at him.

"Predatory."

"Well, it depends which side you're on." She turns away to look into the shark tank again. "Also, we have to keep moving or we die."

"Nice location for the final act," Sherlock compliments. "Couldn't have chosen it better myself. But then I never could resist a touch of the dramatic."

"That is for sure," another voice answers. Mary then walks into the room and stops at Sherlock's side a couple of feet away from him.

"Hello, Mary," he says without turning to look at her.

"Hey."

"John?"

"On his way," Mary answers.

Sherlock nods. "Then let me introduce, Ammo."

Mary stares at the elderly woman in shock,"You were Ammo?"

"Using AGRA as her private assassination unit," Sherlock adds.

Mary narrows her eyes at the woman,"Why did you betray us?"

"Why does anyone do anything?" the woman questions.

"Oh, let me guess. Selling secrets?" Sherlock guesses.

"Well, it would be churlish to refuse. Worked very well for a few years. But the ambassador in Tbilisi found out. I thought I'd had it." She looks towards Mary before returning her gaze to Sherlock. "Then she was taken hostage in that coup." She laughs,"I couldn't believe my luck! That bought me a little time."

"But then you found out your boss had sent AGRA in."

"Very handy," she says,"They were always such reliable killers."

Sherlock narrows his eyes and addresses his friend "What you didn't know, Mary, was that this one also tipped off the hostage-takers."

Mary clenches her hands into fists.

"Lady Smallwood gave the order, but I sent another one to the terrorists with a nice little clue about her code name should anyone have an enquiring mind. Seemed to do the trick." She sighs,"The hostages were killed, AGRA too ..." She looks across to Mary," ...Or so I thought. My secret was safe. But apparently not. Just a little peace. That's all you wanted too, wasn't it? A family, home. Really, I understand."

Mary glances across to Sherlock but his gaze is fixed on the elderly woman.

"So just let me get out of here, right?" she tells them calmly,"Let me just walk away. I'll vanish. I'll go forever. What d'you say?"

"After what you did?!" Mary growls. She starts towards the older woman.

"Mary, no!" Sherlock warns.

The older woman then stands and pulls a gun from her purse, aiming it at Mary.

Mary freezes and holds up her hands, taking a slow step back.

"I was never a field agent," The woman smirks,"I always thought I'd be rather good.

Mary scoffs.

"Well, you handled the operation in Tbilisi very well... for a secretary," Sherlock jibes.

She frowns,"What?"

"Can't have been easy all those years, sitting in the back keeping your mouth shut when you knew you were cleverer than most of the people in the room," Sherlock continues.

"I didn't do this out of jealousy!"

"No?" the sociopath questions,"Same old drudge, day in, day out, never getting out there where all the excitement was. Just back to your little flat on Wigmore Street."

The woman stares, jaw slack at him. How could he know so much about her?

"They've taken up the pavement outside the Post Office there. The local clay on your shoes is very distinctive," Sherlock says, glancing at her shoes. "Yes, your little flat."

"How do you know?" She questions.

"Well, on your salary it would have to be modest and you spent all the money on that cottage, didn't you, and what are you, widowed or divorced?" Sherlock starts to fire off deductions. "Wedding ring's at least thirty years old and you've moved it to another finger. That means you're sentimentally attached to it but you're not still married. I favour widowed, given the number of cats you share your life with."

"Sherlock..." Mary says softly, a nervous look on her face. She knows how much Sherlock can get on people's nerves when he does this, and the woman currently has a gun in her hand.

"Two Burmese and a tortoiseshell, judging by the cat hairs on your cardigan," His eyes flit over her body,"A divorcee's more likely to look for a new partner; a widow to fill the void left by her dead husband."

"Sherlock, don't." Mary says for firmly, but he fails to listen.

Sherlock gets louder as he steps closer to the elderly woman. "Pets do that, or so I'm told, and there's clearly no-one new in your life, otherwise you wouldn't be spending your Friday nights in an aquarium. That probably accounts for the drink problem, too: the slight tremor in your hand ... the red wine stain ghosting your top lip. So yes. I say jealousy was your motive after all – to prove how good you are..."

Her gaze turns to look towards the entrance as Mycroft walks in. Greg enters next to him, with three police officers at his side.

" ... To make up for the inadequacies of your little life," Sherlock hisses.

Her eyes flit from Mycroft to the officers, fear and dread filling them. Her arm holding the gun shakes.

"Well, Mrs Norbury," Mycroft says,"I must admit this is unexpected."

"Vivian Norbury, who outsmarted them all," Sherlock voices with much sarcasm. "All except Sherlock Holmes." He takes a step forward, holding out his left hand. "There's no way out," He says softly.

"So it would seem," She smiles a little. "You've seen right through me, Mr Holmes."

"It's what I do."

She tilts her head to one side,"Maybe I can still surprise you." Swiftly she brings up the gun and aims it at Sherlock.

He smirks,"That will only make things worse for yourself."

She narrows her eyes,"You think your invincible, Mr.Holmes. But I know that you are not. Everyone has a weakness... and yours is Darkwood."

Sherlock's eyes widen a fraction, fear spreading through his body.

Then she shoots.

As soon as she got a shot off, the policemen rushed forward to apprehend her. Then a cry of pain echoes throughout the room.

Everyone looks to Sherlock...but he is fine. It is Mary who is on the floor, bleeding.

Right as Vivan spoke her final words, Mary leaped in front of Sherlock and took to bullet for him. Her mind worked faster than his for once and she knew that he was not going to move. She knew a Darkwood bullet to his chest would kill him, and she just couldn't let that happen.

Mary rolls over onto her back, gasping in pain. Sherlock stares at her in shock, then drops to his knees to press his gloved hand against the wound. She looks up at him, her eyes wide, and she whimpers.

"Everything's fine," he tells her, his eyes wide," It's gonna be okay." He looks round to Mycroft and shouts,"Get an ambulance!"

Mycroft snaps out of his shock and nods. Turning away to make the call just as John runs in.

"Mary!" He shouts and races to her side.

"John!" She gasps, breathing heavily.

Sherlock stands up and steps back as John presses his hand against her wound.

"Mary?" John calls,"Mary, stay with me."

She gazes up at him, face full of pain.

"Come on, Mary," he says softly.

She sobs and lets out a cry of pain. "...John, I -I think this is it."

He shakes his head vigorously,"No-no-no-no, it's not."

"You made me so happy," she tells him in a weak voice. "You gave me everything I could ever want."

"Mary, Mary..." he gently shushes her, and runs his free hand over her forehead.

"Look after Rosie," Mary says with tears in her eyes. "Promise me."

"I promise," he whispers.

Mary grits her teeth as another wave of pain comes. She lets out a ragged breath and glances over at Sherlock. "I'm sorry..." she whispers,"...For shooting you that time. I'm really sorry."

Sherlock forces a soft smile,"It's-it's all right."

"I think we're even now, okay?"

He nods,"Okay."

She yelps with pain.

"Mary. Mary," John calls softly, trying to calm her down. He gazes at her with fearful eyes. He feels so helpless, unsure of what to do to help her.

John suddenly gasps and looks up at Sherlock as a thought hits him,"Turn her! You can save her life-"

"No!" Mary cries out, grabbing John's arm. She looks up at her husband with pleading eyes,"John, please don't!" her breathing is becoming more ragged,"I don't want to live a life like that. So please..."

John gulps, looking like he wants to argue, but nods anyhow.

Sherlock stands above them, biting his lip nervously. He wants to help, but at this moment he can't do much. Not without Mary's permission. Flitting to a hospital would be too jarring on her fragile body in the state. She wouldn't make it. 

"Y-you were my whole world," Mary sobs.

John squeezes his eyes shut, trying to fight the tears. He is trying to be strong for her.

"..Being Mary Watson... was the only life worth living," she gasps in between jabs of pain.

John gazes at her with anguish in his eyes. "...Mary."

Her eyes flutter shut, yet she still breaths. She has fallen unconscious, but she won't last more than a minute.

"Mary? Mary!" John shakes her gently. Turning to Sherlock with a frantic look,"Do it now, Sherlock."

Sherlock's eyes widen,"B-but she said-"

"No, you have to save her! I don't care what she said!" John shouts with tears in his eyes,"TURN HER! SHERLOCK, PLEASE!"

Sherlock gulps. If he does this Mary will live, but she may hate him forever.

'I would rather her hate me if it means she can still live,' he finally decides.

He nods to John,"Alright." He drops to his knees next to Mary and bites his wrist. He then looks down at Mary to give her his blood... but then he stops.

"What are you doing? Turn her!" John says frantically.

Sherlock slowly meets his gaze, his own eyes filled with tears,"...John. I-I'm sorry, but she's gone."

John's eyes widen. "...No," he whispers. He looks down at his wife and shakes her shoulder softly,"Mary? Darling, please wake up. We can save you, just-" his voice cracks with emotion,"...Just open...your eyes."

Sherlock, Greg and Mycroft watch silently. For a several long seconds nobody moves, then John lifts his hand again to put his fingers against the pulse point on Mary's neck. He removes his hand with a sob and cradles her head, resting his chin on top of it. He squeezes his eyes shut as he silently sobs.

Sherlock sits back and stares at them as if he cannot believe what has happened. He was too late.

He reaches out a hand to touch John's shoulder but before he can make contact, John's head snaps up, his teeth clenched and his face full of murderous rage. He glares at Sherlock, breathing heavily.

"Don't you dare," John growls savagely. "You made a vow. You swore it!"

His eyes wide with shock, Sherlock stands and steps back. He swallows hard and looks away from the scene before him.

A few minutes later and an ambulance has finally arrived. They walk in with a stretcher, and Sara jogs in after them.

"Oh my-" She covers her mouth when she sees Mary unmoving on the floor, with John crying above her.

"Sara," Sherlock calls softly. She looks at him then rushes into his arms. He holds her tightly,"Leave him for now."

Sara gulps and nods. Glancing over at the couple, tears fill her eyes. 'This wasn't supposed to happen! Mary was safe, she should have lived a long, happy life.'

Sherlock's arms tighten around the small woman as he gazes at John and Mary.

Nothing will be the same after this.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	54. America

Chapter 54:

Sara's POV:

Weeks have passed since that dreadful day. Mary's body was cremated, and John had to once again make that lonely walk through the graveyard.

Sherlock explained to me what happened that night, then he closed himself off from everyone. I know he feels responsible for Mary's death. He vowed to keep her safe... and in the end he couldn't. John resents him for this and hasn't spoke to Sherlock since that day, and he doesn't plan to anytime soon either. I have seen him a few times, helping with the baby when I can since he is in no state of mind to do so. 

Everything is a mess. Mary's death hit everyone hard... and I am not sure how we will get over it. We never will fully, but we can't let it hold us back from living. I’ve had more than enough friends die in my lifetime... it never gets easier, but I find that I am able to cope faster. 

John is a zombie most days when I see him. He usually stays in bed, or sits in his chair in silence. Getting him to eat is a chore, and bathing is further out of the question. I know it will take a long time for John to come to terms with Mary's death, but he needs to step up and be there for his daughter. Mary wouldn't have wanted to see him like this. 

His hatred of Sherlock hasn't waned. He has forbid me from taking Rosie to Baker street, and had refused to see Sherlock the one time he came by the house. That was just before Sherlock threw himself into his work. I know John's anger toward Sherlock is ill placed, but he is beyond reasoning with at the moment. I just hope that in the future they can make up.

Sherlock is another problem. He has been MIA for the better part of a week now. After moping around the flat for the first week, he has pushed himself into solving cases to get his mind off of everything. But in doing so, he is pushing everyone further away. He is rarely at the flat anymore, and when he is he hardly speaks to me or Mrs.Hudson. I know he is hurting, but I just wish he would come talk to me about it instead of pushing it away. 

~

"I can't leave them like this!" I am currently in Mycroft's office. He just told me that he is sending me on a mission to America. 

"People die everyday, Sara. And more will die if you do not help us," Mycroft says coldly,"Sherlock and John are adults. They can grieve and move on themselves."

I clench my hands into fists,"...What is the mission?"

"An undercover agent stole missile plans and ran off to New York city with them. My intel tells me that he is meeting with a buyer in three days," he informs me,"They are meeting at a gala being held in the Baxton hotel. You and Tom are to intercept the man before the handoff is made, and drag him back to England where we can "dispose" of him as we please." He gives me that snarky smile of his and clasps his hands together. 

I purse my lips in thought and cross my arms. "There is no way I am getting out of this, is there?"

He shakes his head. 

I groan,"Why can't Tom just go?"

Mycroft slides a file across his desk to me. I pick it up and look over the contents. 

"Well, we have been led to believe that he may not he human."

My eyes widen and i look up from the paper,"Vampire?"

He shrugs,"It is unknown to us. Which is why we are taking extra precautions and sending the two of you."

I frown but nod. "When do we leave?"

"Right now actually."

Tom then walks into the room with two bags slung over his shoulder. He gives me an apologetic look. 

I turn back to Mycroft,"I can't even say goodbye?!"

He cocks his head to the side with a smirk,"To whom? My brother hasn't cared to acknowledge you in weeks, and Dr. Watson would rather talk to his dead wife."

I frown,"You don't have to be such an ass about it..." I mutter, my eyes downcast. 

"Our flight leaves in an hour," Tom tells me,"We should get going."

I nod and walk toward the door. I spot the glare Tom gives his brother as I pass him. At least one Holmes brother is on my side. Mycroft is still butt hurt about me rejecting him, but at least Tom was mature enough to get past it. 

We leave for the airport and pass through security fairly quickly. We are soon seated in first class, awaiting takeoff. 

"What is that?" Tom asks, looking over my at my phone. 

"I took a couple of Mycroft's mini spy cameras and placed them in John's house and Sherlock's flat, to keep an eye on them," I answer. The live feeds can be accessed by my phone. 

He nods,"How are they?"

I let out a sigh,"Well, Sherlock found the ones in the flat already and took them down, so I don't know how he is. As for John... he's not doing good." I watch the video with sad eyes. John is currently in his living room... talking to no one. 

Tom puts his hand on my arm comfortingly,"He will be alright. It just takes time."

I nod,"I heard that he is seeing a new therapist. Hopefully she can help."

We sit back in silence for the rest of the plane ride. I try to get some sleep but find myself unable to. My mind is refusing to let me rest. 

I let out a sigh and lean my head against the window. This is going to be a long plane ride. 

~

Stepping off the plane, I breath in the cool air and gaze at my surroundings. It's nice to be back in America, but I am already missing London. 

"Mycroft set us up in the hotel where the party will be taking place," Tom informs as he looks down at his phone,"It's an hour drive from here."

I groan,"I'm sick of sitting, and that would be like two hours in New York."

He chuckles and glances out one of the airport windows. "Well, night will fall in about an hour. By the time we leave here it should be dark, so we can just flit to the hotel if you would you like."

I nod,"I would.”

After grabbing our bags and leaving the Airport, we find an isolated area where we can flit without being seen. We soon make it to our hotel and check in.

“The party begins in an hour,” Tom tells me as we enter our room. He sets his bag on his bed while I drop mine on the floor and belly flop onto my own bed.

I sigh heavily,”You can have the shower. I don’t need one.”

He chuckles,”I assume you will be taking a nap in the mean time?”

I hum in approval, starting to drift off already.

The last few weeks have been a lot harder on me then I first realized. My mind and body are exhausted. 

I feel someone shaking me gently. “Wake up,” Tom tells me softly.

I groan and curl up into the pillows and blankets. “…Why do you take such short showers?” I mumble.

He chuckles,”Come now. The faster we finish this mission, the faster you can get back to your friends.”

I let out a long sigh and lift my head,”They are your friends too.”

He just smiles tightly and walks to my bag which is still on the floor. He pulls out the dress I brought for the party and brings it over to the bed. “Here you are. The party starts in fifteen.”

I nod and let out a yawn as I stretch. “I will meet you down there,” I tell him.

He nods and straightens out his jacket. He looks cute in his suit and tie. 

He soon leaves me and I start to get ready. 

~

“Champagne?” a waiter questions while holding out a tray of glasses to me.

I smile and take one, then scan the room.

The party is in full bloom. Some of the richest and most famous people are attending this gala. A risky meeting place for our target. 

I am dressed in an expensive red dress with jewelry absolutely covering me. Mycroft wanted me to look to the part of an heiress, and he certainly did not hold back. 

“You look beautiful,” a voice says from behind me.

I smile,”Thank you, Tom. You look very handsome as well.” I turn to him and see him smiling down at me.

He glances to the dance floor then back to me with a pleading look.

I shake my head,”No. You know I don’t dance-“

“It will be fun, i promise,” he tells me then smirks,”We should be keeping up appearances. It might look strange if we don’t partake in the festivities.”

I roll my eyes and huff,”Fine.”

We spend the next two hours dancing and mingling with the other partygoers. 

This is excruciating! I would much rather be sleeping back at the room, or better yet, back in London with Sherlock.

We have spotted our target, but he has yet to meet anyone. So far he has been sat at the bar the entire time.

“Where ever did you find this gentleman?” A woman, who I have been having a friendly conversation with, asks me as she watches Tom talk to her husband.

I smile,”We met when I was vacationing in London about five years ago.” I am undercover as Tom’s wife. Not that I haven’t done it before. Since we partner on missions quite frequently, this has become our go to cover.

Tom strolls over to us with a blinding smile,”Could I have a word with my wife?” he raises his phone,”My mum is asking about the baby.”

The woman next to me squeals happily,”Your pregnant?!”

I giggle,”7 weeks along.”

“Oh my, you don’t look like your showing at all.”

I shrug and rub my stomach,”Well, he is riding pretty low. It runs in my family actually, that we don’t get that big of bellies.”

She awes,”It’s a boy?”

I nod, smiling fondly at my flat stomach,”His name is Beckett.”

“Oh, I love babies!” she gushes,”Well, I won’t hold you. I know how in-laws can get.” She waves as Tom leads me away.

I glance up at the vampire with an arched eyebrow,”So it seems I’m pregnant.”

He chuckles,”I was trying to change it up a little. So, Beckett? I like that name.”

I smile,”I do too. I’ve always wanted a boy.”

He leads me over to a wall and glances over his shoulder. "They are moving toward an empty billiards room," Tom informs me as we watch our target and another man make their way through the sea of people.

I nod. “Let’s sneak in through the back door.”

We casually make our way to said room and sneak in through another door. Inside the two men are talking by the pool table with their backs to us. We silently sneak behind a couch and wait.

“The British have to be on to me by now,” says our target, looking around shiftily,”Let’s just get this over with.”

The man with him chuckles and pats his shoulder,”You will be fine, my friend. With these plans and the tablet, nothing will stop us.“

I frown. This doesn't sound like a usual trade off-

Suddenly the main door bursts open and a gun is fired off. Tom and I stand from our hiding spot to see our target running out of the room. The man that he was meeting is dead on the ground.

“Damnit!” I shout, then turn angrily at the person with the gun.

“Sara?”

My eyes widen and I about shit myself from shock. "Dean?!"

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	55. Supernatural

Some Supernatural spoilers ahead. You have been warned.

Chapter 55:

Sara's POV:

"Sara? Holy shit, it is you!" Dean lowers his gun and rushes forward to engulf me a hug.

I hug him tightly then spot his brother rounding the corner. "Dean- Oh my god, Sara!" he exclaims.

I let go of Dean and charge toward his brother. "Sammy!" I wrap my arms around him and lift him off the ground in a bear hug.

Dean chuckles from behind me,"Hey, don't break him. I just got him back."

I release Sam and give Dean a pointed look,"You will be telling me about that later." Probably another almost death experience.

"...Sara?" Tom speaks up.

I look over and find him standing off to the side looking confused and suspicious of the two men I had been hugging.

"Tom, this is Dean and Sam Winchester," I introduce them,"They are hunters. I lived with them for awhile when I lived in America. Guys, this is Thomas Holmes. He is my friend from England."

Sam eyes him wearily,"Vampire?"

I nod,"I turned him a couple decades ago, so no need to worry. He isn't like the vampires you hunt."

He nods but both Dean and him still look suspicious of Tom. My British friend returns the look.

We soon retire to our hotel room so we can talk in peace.

"What are you two doing in New York City?" I question the brothers in confusion,"Don't you normally stick to smaller towns and stuff?"

Sam nods,"Normally, but Cas tracked down the shifter that stole a special tablet we need for a ritual. The man he was meeting with and who stole your missile plans was a shifter as well."

I frown,"Cas? Who is this? Usually Bobby is the one doing the tracking."

The look on their faces tells me before they do. "...Bobby is dead, Sara."

I feel as though the air has been sucked from my lungs. I blink away tears and stare down at the table,"...I-I knew it would happen eventually but..."

We sit in silence for a moment, remembering our close friend.

I clear my throat,"So, what else has happened? Never a dull moment it seems."

Dean chuckles weakly,"Never. Well, I went to purgatory, and Sammy was in Hell."

~

After a couple hours of catching up, we plan our next move.

"These shifters are banding together for some reason," Tom says, deep in thought,"Stealing missile plans and that special tablet of yours. They are planning something."

I nod and look at the Winchesters,"Any idea what?"

Dean sits back in his chair with a heavy sigh,"Probably something to do with Lucifer. He's an ass."

Tom runs his hand through his hair,"...I still can't believe that Hell and Lucifer are real."

I nod,"And Angels, and God. It's insane to think about. And you said Angels are bad guys, right?"

Sam shrugs,"Yeah, most of them. Well except for our friend, Castiel."

I smile,"I would like to meet him some day. He seems nice."

Dean laughs,"He is, but he takes some time getting used to."

"Dean, did you find the tablet," a new voice questions.

Tom and I both jump up from our seats at the sudden voice and aim our guns at the intruder.

A man in a tan trench coat stands in the middle of the room. He has dark hair and some beard scruff. He is looking at Tom and I suspiciously but doesn't seem fazed that we are pointing our firearms at him.

How did he get in without Tom or I hearing?

Dean quickly gets in between us and raises his hands,"Hey, whoa! It's alright, this is Castiel."

I frown and slowly lower my gun,"The angel?"

Dean nods,"They can teleport. Popping up without a word is kinda his thing."

Castiel is now glaring at Tom and I. "Dean, they are vampires," he growls in a deep voice.

"I know," Dean calms him,"They are friends, so chill out."

The angel frowns at him,"What would 'chilling out' accomplish? This body isn't hot."

I raise an eyebrow and look to Dean questioningly.

He sighs and goes to sit back down,"Angels take everything very literally," he tells me as he opens himself another beer. 

I glance at Tom and shrug. He frowns but holsters his gun, as do I. 

I turn back to the angel and put on a smile,"My name is Sara Knightly and this is Thomas Holmes. It is nice to meet you."

He says nothing for a moment, just studies me with his piercing blue eyes. "...I cannot read you two. You are different than the vampires I've met before."

I nod and point to my fangs with a smile, making my eyes go red as well. "We are a different breed of vampire I guess you can say. Our thirst for blood can be controlled much easier than most vampires here in America, and stakes don't work unless it is made of a special wood."

Castiel nods slowly before turning his attention to the Winchesters. "The tablet?"

"We were unable to get it," Sam tells him,"That is how we ran into Sara. She and her friend Tom were after another shifter who was meeting with ours. They both got away."

"This is troublesome," the angel frowns,"Shifters don't usually band together."

"Nor do they steal British missile plans," Dean huffs and takes a swig of his beer.

"We need to solve this before a national incident happens," says Tom. He turns to me,"I think our best bet is to get Mycroft to hack the security cameras and we will track the shifter from there."

I frown,"Mycroft doesn't have any jurisdiction here."

"He has ties to many powerful people. I am sure he will be able to get in contact with someone that will help."

I nod,"Alright. I'll phone him now," I stand and walk out of the room. "Play nice you guys," I call out to them as I leave.

As I dial Mycroft's number, I eavesdrop of the boys.

"So are you and Sara...?" Sam leaves the question hanging.

I hear Tom clear his throat awkwardly,"Um, no. We were once but... it didn't work out. She is currently with my brother."

"Ooh, tough break," Dean says.

"Have you two...?"

"No, never," Says Sam,"She is like our little sister."

"I am older than both of you combined!" I shout from the room I'm in. 

Dean chuckles,"She is more like a mother. Always getting us out of trouble and making sure we are taking care of ourselves."

Tom chuckles,"She is the same way with my brother. He can be so childlike."

"Is this, Mycroft, your brother?" Castiel questions.

I sigh as the phone call goes to voicemail. It must be the time difference, Mycroft is most likely asleep.

"Yes, but the one she is dating is my other brother, Sherlock."

"Strange names," Dean mutters as I walk back into the room.

I giggle,"I know. Tom's middle name is Sherrinford."

"Could you not get ahold of him?" Tom questions.

I shake my head,"He is probably asleep. I will try again tomorrow."

Tom nods,"We should get some rest then."

"Are you guys staying somewhere nearby?" I ask Sam and Dean.

"Yeah, we found a place down the road from here," Sam answers.

"But not nearly as nice as this joint," Dean adds.

"Mycroft put us here. Perks of having a friend in the government."

The boys stand. "We'll get going then. See ya tomorrow," Dean says and hugs me.

Sam hugs me as well and then they leave.

I groan and let out a yawn as I stretch,"I'm going to take a shower," I announce.

Tom nods and starts to undress for bed,"I will see you tomorrow morning then."

I nod. He will most likely be asleep by the time I'm done since I take hour long showers. "Night, Tom."

Hopefully we can finish this tomorrow. I need to get back to John and Sherlock.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yes, I just couldn't resist bringing in Sam and Dean for at least a couple chapters :)  
Maybe I will do a spin off with them, who knows.


	56. You've done it this time

Chapter 56:

Sara's POV:

This case has turned into something a lot bigger then we first thought. It has been weeks since I left England and it doesn't look like I am going to be making it back anytime soon.

The shifter has been a bitch at tracking down, but we think that we have finally found the place he has been hiding out in. We plan to explore his base tonight and hopefully find the bastard so we can end this.

It hasn't been all that bad though. I love being back with Sam and Dean, I hadn't realized how much I had missed them with all the excitement back in England. Castiel is a different story. He doesn't trust Tom or I, and frankly I don't trust him that much either. He is a stranger, and from the stories Sam has told me he hasn't always been there for the brothers. I'm keeping my eye on that angel.

Tom has been getting along quite well with the Winchesters, which I am not too surprised about. He has that type of personality that makes him hard to dislike. I am glad I gave him another chance. What he did with Moriarty was wrong, but I know he did it for good reasons. Since then he has more than redeemed himself, to the point that even Sherlock seems to be giving him a chance.

I think about Sherlock and John everyday. I have kept an eye on John through the cameras I planted, and he seems to be the same. He is still talking to what I can only guess is an imaginary Mary, but he is seeing his therapist and has even gone back to work. Molly still takes care of the baby most days, but she has assured me that John has slowly been helping more.

Sherlock's whereabouts are unknown to me, but I am sure he is doing fine. Throwing himself into his work is probably the best for him right now.

~

Tom peaks his head into my room,"Sara, are you ready?"

I nod and stand,"Yes."

We are soon piled into the back of the beautiful black Impala and are on our way to the location of our shifter.

I love riding in Baby, too bad the experience is ruined by a certain angel. Dean and Sam are hogging the seats up front, so it's Tom, me, and Castiel in the back.

"Would you stop glaring?! I am not going to bite you," I growl at Castiel. I drew the short straw and got sat in the middle.

He crosses his arms and looks out the window.

I roll my eyes and let out an annoyed groan.

"Hey!" Dean calls from the front,"Knock it off back there."

I narrow my eyes and kick at his seat. He glances back and gives me a death glare before turning away.

After an excruciatingly long drive, we finally make it to our destination. We tracked the shifter away from the city to an abandoned farm. As far as we know he still has the missile plans, but that doesn't mean that he is here alone.

"I don't sense anyone in the immediate area," I tell the Winchesters,"I think we should be okay."

Dean nods and cocks his gun,"Let's split up then. There is too much ground to cover if we stay as a group."

I nod. Tom seems unsure, but nods as well.

~

Tom's POV:

This dangerous. We are fighting a creature who can shape-shift and they decide to split up. If Sara gets hurt they will never see the light of day! Sara may trust them, but don't. They are hunters and we are the monsters. I know from experience that we cannot coexist. The sooner we can be done here and away from them the better.

I am currently searching an old barn. This place looks like it hasn't been lived in for years.

Since the barn is quite small, my search doesn't take long. I soon head out to the farmhouse to join Sara with her search there.

My phone buzzes as I get a call.

"Hello?" I answer.

'I found the skin of the shifter,' Sara tells me,'Watch out, he can look like any of us.'

I nod,"Thanks for the update. I finished searching the barn so I am going to the farmhouse to help you."

'Okay, I am upstairs.'

I end the call and enter the house.

I give my surroundings a quick glance before venturing upstairs to find Sara.

A yelp of pain is heard from down the hall. I frown and slowly advance with my gun ready.

The sound of glass breaking echoes through the hall.

"Dammit!" I hear Sara growl.

I rush forward and find her standing in an old bedroom with blood dripping down her arm.

"Are you alright?" I ask her.

She spins around and aims her gun at me. I raise my hands,"Don't shoot! It's me. Tom."

She narrows her eyes,"How do I know for sure?"

I frown, she is right. I slowly aim my gun at her,"We first met back in 1989. You were visiting our town with a friend of yours. Her name was Evie I believe."

She slowly lowers her gun,"It is you."

I nod,"Now you."

"You once asked me if I would marry you. I told you that better not be a proposal because we were in the middle of watching a movie."

I chuckle and lower my gun,"I promised I would make the real proposal much more romantic."

She smiles then frowns and glances back at a broken window,"I chased the shifter in here, but he escaped through the window. He looked like Dean. I forgot how fast those bastards can be."

I nod and pull out my phone,"I will contact the others."

'What's up?' Dean answers.

"We spotted the shifter in the farm house. He looked like you and escaped through a window. Be on the look out, he may be headed your way." Dean and Sam are searching the fields for any signs of the shifter.

'Got it.'

I end the call and look at Sara,"We should join them."

She nods and walks to the broken window, she then leaps out of it. I follow after her and we continue our search.

~

"Did you find him?" I question as we meet up with Dean. Sam and the angel are on their way.

Dean shakes his head.

I grip my flashlight tightly,"Damn. What should we do now?"

He doesn't answer. He just raises his light at Sara and I.

Frowning, I shield my eyes,"What the hell-"

I am suddenly shoved aside as Dean charges toward Sara. My eyes widen,"STOP!" I shout. I run at him... but I'm too late.

In a split second, Dean raises his machete and slices Sara's head clean off.

I tackle him to the ground and grip his throat in a vice-like grip. "YOU KILLED HER!" I roar, squeezing the life out of him. All I can see is red. My heart aches but all I feel is burning anger at the moment.

A gunshot rings through the air and I feel pain in my right shoulder blade. I fall forward and release his neck to grab at my shoulder. I growl in pain and spin around to rip apart whoever shot me, but I stop in my tracks.

Sara stands behind me with her gun raised at me.

I feel all the air escape my lungs. I blink and look to the decapitated body on the ground... but it has turned to a pile of mush.

I flit to Sara's side, ignoring the pain in my shoulder, and pull her into a tight hug. "I thought I lost you," I almost weep.

Dean coughs as he tries to get his breath back. "The Sara with you- was a shifter," he wheezes out.

I frown and glance back at him. He is still on the ground gasping for air. "But I questioned her. She knew things only Sara would know..."

"Shifters gain all the memories of those they shift as," Sara explains.

I sigh and rest my head on her shoulder. Shutting my eyes, I still hold her tightly. She rubs my back and murmurs,"It's okay. I'm here, I'm safe."

Dean coughs a bit and I hear him stand. "Shifters can be identified by their eyes which glow in light," he explains.

I nod and lift my head to look at Sara,"Where were you?" I ask her.

"I was searching the basement, there was a maze of tunnels down there."

I frown,"But you called me and said you were upstairs."

She frowns then pats at her pockets before cursing fowling. She stomps toward the pile of blood and goo that is our shifter, then bends down and sticks her hand inside it. She then pulls out something and stands straight. "The bastard stole my phone!" she wipes off the liquid on her pants and checks to see if it still works. She frowns at the screen,"I have a missed call from Mycroft."

I run my hand through my hair and wait for my heart to slow down. My greatest fear almost became a reality. If I lost her... I-I don't know what I would do.

Dean's phone rings. He answers it while Sara calls back my brother.

'Dean, we found the tablet and missile plans,' Castiel's voice comes through the speaker.

"Great. I just killed the shifter," Dean says with a smile,"Looks like we can go home."

"WHAT?!" Sara shouts into her phone,"WHY DID YOU TAKE THIS LONG TO TELL ME?!"

I frown and tune into her conversation.

'I didn't want to distract you from your mission,' Mycroft tells her.

"I am going to have your ass when I get back!" Sara snarls and ends the call. She turns to us and her eyes are blood red.

Dean frowns,"Something the matter?"

Sara shakes her head and stocks toward me,"Just my junkie boyfriend."

Uh oh.

She grips my arm,"Tom we are leaving." She pauses and looks at Dean, her features softening. "I'm sorry I can't help you more, but I really-"

He smiles,"I understand. Go rip him a new one."

She smiles,"Tell Sam that I will miss him and that I am sorry I couldn't say a proper goodbye."

"I will."

Sara pulls me away from the farm and flits us back to our hotel.

I blink as we are suddenly in our hotel room. Sara is already packing.

"Care to fill me in?" I ask.

She doesn't pause her packing,"Mycroft decided to keep some crucial information from me." She slams the lid of her suitcase shut. "Apparently Sherlock has gone off the deep end once again. He has pretty much destroyed the flat, Mrs.Hudson is terrified, and he is now targeting some nice man who he claims is a serial killer!" she covers her face and tries to get her breathing under control.

I slowly move toward her and wrap my arms around her. "We'll get through this. He has been through a lot, this is his way of coping. You have brought him back from the darkness before."

I hear her choke back a sob,"B-but it's different this time. He isn't human. Drugs wouldn't effect him now... so he must be drinking deadman blood."

I freeze. D-deadman blood?

I gulp and rub her back,"We don't know how bad he really is. Let's just focus on getting back to England," I suggest.

She nods and pulls away from me. I frown and wipe the tears from her face.

This is troublesome. Deadman blood is not something to mess around with. As vampires we are not affected by human drugs, but there is a type of blood that gives us the same euphoric feelings as drugs do. We call it deadman blood, because (no surprise) it is blood from dead people. While it is a good drug substitute, it is also very poisonous to us. It is essentially old, spoiled blood that gives you a high like none other. Many vampires get addicted to it and it kills them.

Sherlock, you've done it this time.


	57. I need John Watson

Chapter 57:

Sara's POV:

"Sara? What- Why are you here?" John questions incredulously as I walk into the house,"How did you even know I was here?"

"Mycroft told me. He said I would find you here, as well as Sherlock," I look around,"Where is that asshole by the way?"

He frowns,"He's not here. Did you two have another fallout or something?"

A woman stands off to the side looking a bit confused. She glances at John,"Won't you introduce me?"

John sighs,"This is Sara Knightly, she's a good friend of mine. Sara, this is-"

"Your therapist. I had already guessed," I cut him on with the wave of my hand. I cross my arms and let out a huff,"Mycroft is really on my shit list now!"

Tom clears his throat and walks to John's therapist with a warm smile,"Hello, my name is Thomas Holmes," he greets her as they shake hands. "I am terribly sorry for barging in like this, but we were told my brother would be here."

She smiles softly,"It's fine, dear. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"That would be lovely."

The sound of multiple police cars driving at top speed pricks at my ears. I frown and look at Tom,"Do you hear cop cars heading this way?"

He is staring out the window,"And a helicopter."

"Helicopter-"

A loud crash is heard from outside the house and the screeching of tires on the pavement. The whirling of helicopter blades fly overhead, and police sirens cry out.

I am the first to rush outside, with Tom, John, and his therapist following. I pause at the front porch and take in the scene before me.

A red sports car is parked half on the sidewalk with rubbish bins strewn across the yard, presumably what that crash was. Surrounding the red car are three police vehicles and a helicopter hovering nearby.

The door of the red car opens and the last person I would ever expect climbs out.

My eyes widen and my jaw drops,"Mrs. Hudson?!!"

She smiles once she sees me and takes off her sunglasses. "Sara! Oh it is so good to see you, dear!" She prances over and pulls me into a hug. 

"Stop right where you are," a policeman says as he walks toward us.

Mrs.Hudson looks at him confused,"Huh? What?"

"Do you have any idea what speed you were going at?" the man questions.

Mrs.H rolls her eyes,"Well, of course not. I was on the phone."

Is she serious right now?

"Oh ..." she holds out a phone to him. "It's for you, by the way."

The cop takes it with a confused look,"For me?"

"It's the government."

"The what?!"

I clench my hands into fists and mutter,"Mycroft."

"What's going on?" John walks over and questions the elderly woman,"What's wrong?"

Mrs.H suddenly breaks down in tears and wails,"It's Sherlock!" She pulls John into a hug. "You've no idea what I've been through!"

"What did he do?" I demand.

She shakes her head,"He went of his rocker," she says,"He stopped eating, sleeping. He wrecked the flat, was shooting my wall!"

I close my eyes and try to control my emotions, mostly the anger.

"You need to see him, John." Mrs.Hudson says pleadingly,"You need to help him!"

John takes a step back, shaking his head,"Nope."

"He needs you!"

I throw my hands up,"What about me?! I am his girlfriend!"

Mrs.H rolls her eyes at me,"Enough about you, Sara. Sherlock and John have a relationship unlike any other."

My jaw drops. What the hell?!

"Not me," John growls,"Not now."

Mrs. Hudson storms over to him. "Now you just listen to me for once in your stupid life. I know Mary's dead and I know your heart is broken, but if Sherlock Holmes dies too, who will you have then? Sara will leave you like she always does and you will have no one, not even me!" She then storms past me back to the car she arrived in. She sits on the hood and bows her head as she sobs very unconvincingly.

I glance around to Tom and give him a questioning look. He shrugs, just as confused as me.

John stares at Mrs.H, seeming to have a mental debate with himself before slowly walking to her. I hang back and wait for something to make sense. So far, I am thoroughly convinced that we have entered some alternate universe.

"Have you spoken to Mycroft, Molly, anyone?" John questions her softly.

"They don't matter. You do," she sobs and raises her head to look at him. "Would you just see him? Please, John. Or just take a look at him as a doctor? I know you'd change your mind if you did."

John starts to shake his head but pauses at the look on her face. He then nods with a sigh,"Yeah, okay, maybe, if I get a chance."

Mrs.Hudson brightens up,"Do you promise?"

"I'll try, if I'm in the area."

"Promise me?" she demands.

He sighs again,"I promise."

"Thank you!" She hops on the hood and walks to the rear of the car.

I frown and walk closer as she opens the trunk of the car. John gets there before me and stares wordlessly at whatever is in there.

"Well? On you go," Mrs.Hudson urges,"Examine him."

I stride over and look past John's shoulder. My eyes widen as I see my boyfriend laying in the bottom of the trunk, looking dazed and confused, even a bit scared. He squints at the daylight and I notice his hands are cuffed together in front of him. He is dirty, looks like he hasn't shaved in weeks, and is also still in his robe and pajamas.

"Sherlock?" I whisper.

His eyes focus on me and fear fills them. "...Shit."

~

We are currently back inside the therapist's house. Sherlock is sitting in an armchair, rubbing his sore wrists. John is in the hall conversing with Mrs.Hudson, and I am sitting on a couch across from Sherlock with Tom next to me.

My arms are crossed and I am barely restraining myself from smacking Sherlock upside the head, the only thing holding me back is Tom who is gripping my shoulder. Meanwhile, Sherlock is purposely ignoring me whilst being his usual dick self.

He grabs a vase from the table next to him and proceeds to drink from it after throwing the flowers on the ground behind him. He grimaces at the taste then gestures towards the therapist standing in the consultation room with a phone to her ear. "Who's this one? He points at her while looking at John. "Is this a new person? I'm against new people."

"She's my therapist," John answers.

"Awesome!" He looks towards her. "Do you do block bookings?"

"Whose car is that?" John questions Mrs.H, pointing outside.

"That's my car."

"How can that be your car?!"

Mrs.Hudson rolls her eyes,"Oh, for God's sake! I'm the widow of a drug dealer, I own property in central London, and for the last bloody time, John, I'm not your housekeeper."

She is just full of sass today.

"Sherlock, look at me!" I demand.

He slowly glances at me then looks to his brother. "Why does it seem that you are always here?" he all but snarls.

"Sherlock!" I hiss and shrug Tom's hand off me, I then step over the small table before me and grip my boyfriend's shoulders tightly,"What have you done?!"

He stares up at me wide eyed and gulps.

"I told you how dangerous dead man blood was. Why would you go and drink it?" I question,"Sherlock, you are dying-"

He shoves my hands off of him and stands,"I am perfectly fine."

He goes to walk around me but I grip his robe to stop him. "This is serious! You-"

He spins around and glares down at me,"Why did you choose to show up now? It has been weeks!" He spits.

"I had no idea! Mycroft only told me yesterday. I came as soon as I could."

"It's true," Tom says and steps toward us. He gazes at his brother with a sad expression,"We had no idea, Lock."

Sherlock starts to say something but John interrupts.

"How did you know?" John questions him as he walks into the room. "How? On Monday I decided to get a new therapist. Tuesday afternoon, I chose her. Wednesday morning I booked today's session. Now, today is Friday. So two weeks ago – two weeks before you were abducted at gunpoint and brought here against your will, over a week before I even thought of coming here, you knew exactly where you'd need to be picked up for lunch?"

"I correctly anticipated the responses of people I know well to scenarios I devised? Can't everyone do that?"

"How?" Mrs.Hudson asks.

Sherlock glares at her,"Except the boot. The boot was mean."

"Never mind how," John says,"He's dying to tell us that." He turns to Sherlock with a menacing look,"I want to know why."

Sherlock glances at me then back to John. "Because Mrs Hudson's right. I'm burning up. I'm at the bottom of a pit and I'm still falling and-" He shakes his head and clenches his eyes closed. "I'm never climbing out."

My heart breaks at hearing him say those words.

"I need you to know, John – I need you to see that up here ..." Sherlock gestures to his temples with both hands,"I've still got it, so when I tell you that this ..." He walks to the side table to point to the open laptop." ... is the most dangerous, the most despicable human being that I have ever encountered; when I tell you that this-this monster must be ended, please remember where you're standing, because ... you're standing exactly where I said you would be two weeks ago."

I look at the photo on the laptop screen and shake my head. Culverton Smith; entrepreneur and philanthropist, using his fame and fortune to help many charities. He is about as far from a monster as I am to an angel.

"So what has all this got to do with me?" John questions.

Sherlock glares at the photo,"That creature, that rotting thing, is a living breathing coagulation of human evil, and if the only thing I ever do in this world is drive him out of it, then my life will not have been wasted." He takes a breath, staring up at John who tilts his head to one side. "Look at me. Can't do it, not now. Not alone." He looks away and swallows, his eyes slightly tearful.

John sighs, then unfolds his arms and holds out his right hand towards Sherlock, pulling in a sharp breath through his nose. Sherlock stands up, also sighing a little, and takes his hand. Instantly John clasps Sherlock's arm with his other hand and turns it over. Sherlock rolls his eyes as John pushes up the sleeves of his dressing gown and shirt to reveal all the dark marks on the underside of his arm where he's been injecting himself with dead man blood it would seem. This is even more serious than I first thought.

"Yeah, well, they're real enough, I suppose," John says, releasing his arm.

"Why would I be faking?"

"Because you're a liar," John growls.

I cross my arms,"Was this another act to get John and I back? Or just John I suppose," I say bitterly. "Seems no one wants my help these days."

"John has been my crime solving partner much longer than you," Sherlock tells me without even bothering to look at me. "You have your own job, I didn't want to bother you."

I clench my hands into fists,"That isn't how this works!" I shout, striding toward him,"You and me, we are partners! We became partners when you said you loved me. You can't just shut me out-"

"I don't need you!" He suddenly shouts and turns to me. "What I need, is John."

My eyes start to water but I hold back the tears and glare at my now Ex-boyfriend. "Fine. Go ahead with your insane theories, but know that I will not let you kill yourself." I grit my teeth,"I will get you out of this pit, but then I am leaving. For good." I then turn on my heel and walk out of the house.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	58. I needed a hug

Chapter 58:

3rd person POV:

John and Sara are currently in a limo on their way to meet Culverton. Not much is said between them. John unsure what to say, and Sara going over the breakup in her mind over and over again.

'Does he even realize that I just ended our relationship?' she asks herself. 'Probably not.'

In another car also on its way to Culverton is Sherlock and Tom. Sherlock at first refusing to ride with him but John insisted, wanting Tom to look over his brother's current state of health.

"Open your mouth," Tom orders. Sherlock does as told and Tom peers in, checking to see how far the dead man blood has progressed through him. It's not looking good.

Tom checks his eyes then sighs and sits back,"You are on death's bed, Lock. How much longer are you going to keep this up?"

Sherlock turns to look out the window,"Until John is back again."

Tom gazes at him for a moment then shakes his head,"I hope you know what you are doing then. I won't bother to stop you because I know it would be pointless to try... but do you really think this is what Mary wanted?"

Sherlock still stares out the window, unfazed that Tom saw the video of Mary's last wish. "It's the only way. If I am on the brink of death, then so be it."

"...I know you are focused on doing this, but you shouldn't shut Sara out-"

"She will only try to stop me."

Tom nods,"Yes, but you are hurting her in the process. While it works in my favor for her to be angry at you, I don't like to see her sad. You need to fix this, or you will lose her."

Sherlock scoffs,"She can wait. We have taken a break before, she will come back eventually."

Tom narrows his eyes at his brother and mutters,"Don't be so sure."

Sherlock ignores that bit and turns to his brother,"Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be on your way to see Mycroft or something? Off on another mission-"

"I believe you, Sherlock. About Culverton."

Sherlock's eyes widen,"...You do?"

Tom nods,"That man...there is something dark in him. I don't know for sure if he is a murderer, a serial killer, but he is hiding something. I want to help."

Sherlock looks at his brother in a new light. Everyone else is against him at the moment, but Tom is here on his side.

Sherlock nods,"Thank you."

Quickly dressing in the clothes Mrs.Hudson brought for him, he throws on his treasured coat and sits back.

They soon arrive at their destination and rejoin John and Sara.

"Well? How is he?" John questions Tom.

"Basically fine," Sherlock answers.

Sara narrows her eyes at him and turns to his brother,"Tom?"

He sighs,"If he keeps going as he is, he's got weeks."

"Exactly, weeks." Sherlock says,"Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

John stepping closer to him with his hands behind his back. "So this is real? You've really lost it. You're actually out of control."

"When have I ever been that?"

"Since the day I met you," John answers.

The dying detective smirks,"Oh, clever boy. I've missed you fumbling 'round the place."

John glances at Sara,"I thought this was some kind of ..."

"What?" Sherlock asks.

"Trick."

Sherlock rolls his eyes,"Course it's not a trick. It's a plan."

"Mr. Holmes!" A man calls out.

John looks past Sherlock's shoulder to where the voice came from. It is none other than Culverton Smith.

Sherlock's eyes widen but he doesn't turn around."Thirty feet and closing: the most significant undetected serial killer in British criminal history."

Smiling, Culverton walks towards them followed by his entourage.

"Help me bring him down," Sherlock says to John.

John frowns,"What ... what plan?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Why not?" Sara questions while crossing her arms.

"Because you won't like it."

"Mr. Holmes!" Culverton calls out again.

Sherlock turns to face him. Culverton stops a few feet away. A cameraman scurries around the back of Sherlock to film the scene.

"I don't do handshakes," Culverton smiles widely and spreads his arms,"It'll have to be a hug."

Sherlock grimaces,"I know."

Reporters holding notebooks gather around them.

Chuckling, Culverton reaches out and hugs him. "Oh, Sherlock!" Releasing him, he steps back. "What can I say? Thanks to you ... " He turns to his entourage. " We're everywhere!"

"Mr. Holmes," a male reporter calls out,"How did Culverton talk you into this?"

Sara studies the humans around her with a look of disdain. 'Vultures. Always looking for their next story.'

"You. You're Sara Knightly, aren't you?"

Sara looks at Culverton in surprise. He smiles at her,"You are. Well, isn't this a treat. I thought I was only meeting Mr.Holmes, and Mr.Watson. You have been... away from Mr.Holmes's side for quite some time."

Sara smiles thinly,"I was away on business, but I'm back now."

He nods,"Of course." His attention moves to Tom,"And who is this?"

"Thomas Knightly."

Sara frowns at Tom's tone. He is staring coldly at the smaller man, much unlike his usual demeanor.

'Why is acting like this?' Sara wonders,'Does actually believe Sherlock's drug induced ramblings?'

Culverton looks surprised,"Brother and sister? How wonderful."

Sara nods,"He is visiting for a few weeks."

Culverton smiles and then looks at Sherlock and beckons him towards the building. "Come on then."

They follow the man into the large building in front of them, with the reporters following. Inside is a studio set. Cameras, lights, crew members milling about.

Not long afterwards, Culverton is behind a fake breakfast bar, smiling to one of the cameras.

"Set; and action!" The director says.

"I'm a killer," Culverton says with a sick smile. "You know I'm a killer." He smiles into the camera, then turns to the one on his right. "But did you know ..." He picks up the bowl and holds it up. " ... I'm a cereal killer?"

Sara bows her head and sighs. 'Oh Sherlock...'

Tom glances at her and lays a hand on her shoulder. He leans in and whispers,"Have faith in my brother. He needs you a lot more then he lets on."

Sara gulps,"I want to. It's just..."

Tom nods understandingly.

"And cut there," The director calls out,"Thank you."

John turns to Sherlock,"Has it occurred to you – anywhere in your drug-addled brain – that you've just been played?"

"Oh, yes," Sherlock says with a smile.

"For an ad campaign."

"Brilliant, isn't it?"

John looks confused,"Brilliant?"

Sherlock stares towards Culverton,"Safest place to hide. Plain sight."

Culverton's PA walks towards them. "Mr. Holmes, Ms.Knightly? Culverton wants to know if you're okay going straight to the hospital."

"Hospital?" Sara questions with a confused look.

"Culverton's doing a visit. The kids would love to meet you both. I think he sort of promised."

Sherlock nods,"Oh, okay."

The PA shows them outside where they get into a limo.

Sherlock is sitting next to John, typing on a phone. Sara and Tom sit across from them.

"So... what are we doing here?" John questions,"What's the point?"

Still typing, Sherlock answers,"I needed a hug."

Sara narrows her eyes at him then turns to look out the window.

Culverton comes to John's side of the car and knocks on the window. John presses the button to lower it.

"What do you think, Mr. Holmes?" Culverton asks with a sicking smile,"'Cereal' killer."

"It's funny 'cause it's true," Sherlock answers, still engrossed with his phone.

"See you at the hospital." He straightens up and starts to walk away.

"Oh, you can have this back now," Sherlock suddenly calls out and turns to the man.

Culverton stops and turns back to them. "Have what back?"

Sherlock smiles tightly, reaching across John and holding out the phone. "Thanks for the hug."

Frowning, Culverton takes the phone which is indeed his own.

"Oh, I sent and deleted a text. You might get a reply but I doubt it," Sherlock adds.

Culverton chuckles,"We're going to have endless fun, Mr. Holmes, aren't we?"

"Oh no. No, not endless."

Smiling, Culverton walks away. Sherlock looks at him grimly for a moment, then turns away.

The limo starts to move and begins its journey to the hospital.

John glances towards him as Sherlock sighs silently, hugging himself.

"Need another hit, do you?" Watson inquires.

"I can wait until the hospital."

Sara clenches her hands into fists,"No more. This ends now!" She hisses.

Sherlock's eyes flit to hers, he smiles sardonically,"Oh, so you expect me to make a scene in front of the children? Maybe even attack one of them?"

Sara goes to say something else but Tom cuts in.

"Can we all just calm down?" Tom asks softly. "Once we finish up with Culverton we can address Sherlock's deadman blood addiction. Arguing will only make matters worse."

Sara grits her teeth then looks away, shaking her head.

Sherlock nods to his brother before turning to gaze out his own window.

John looks between the two of them sadly. 'What has happened between them? Sara is the only person who can get through to this man, and he is pushing her away. Why? To get me back?' John thinks to himself,'I am nothing more than a roommate, his blogger. We were once friends...but I can never forgive him for what he did to Mary...or rather what he didn't do. He could have saved her, and yet he didn't.' He lets out a small sigh. 'I only hope that she can get through to him.'

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Another chapter done. The next one will be out sometime next week.

Oh, and I published my Tom Hiddleston fanfic if any of you are interested :)


	59. Who to believe

Chapter 59:

3rd person POV:

In the hall of Saint Caedwalla's hospital, John, Sara, and Tom wait with a nurse while Sherlock is in a nearby bathroom.

The nurse looks at John. "You involved much?" She asks.

He frowns at her,"Sorry?"

"Um, with Mr. Holmes– Sherlock and all his cases? And Sara too of course."

He nods,"Uh, yeah. I'm John Watson."

She nods, smiling thinly,"Okay."

"Doctor Watson," He adds.

"I love his blog, don't you?"

John looks slightly offended,"His blog?"

She frowns,"Oh, don't you read it?"

"You mean my blog."

Sherlock comes out of the nearby bathrooms. "Say what you like about addiction; the day is full of highlights." He says with a huge smile and dilated eyes.

Sara turns away, unable to stomach the sight of him like this. Tom lays a hand on her shoulder and gives a small, comforting smile.

The nurse smiles at him,"Oh, Mr. Holmes. You feeling better?"

"Psychedelic!"

The nurse turns around,"Oh, it's this way, then."

She leads them to a children's ward. Dozens of kids are sat around the room with a couple nurses as well, and Culverton stands before them.

"Right, here they come," Culverton announces,"You all know Sherlock Holmes and Sara Knightly!"

The children cheer and applaud.

Sara smiles and waves a bit awkwardly. She is not used to being around groups of people, especially children. Being a vampire, she is more used to hiding in the shadows.

Sherlock smiles widely at the children, feeling great from his high. "Hello!"

"Oh, and Doctor Watson, of course." Culverton adds.

The audience clap again, far less enthusiastically this time. John presses his lips together and sighs heavily. Tom meanwhile stays at the back, watching silently.

Culverton clears his throat,"Mr. Holmes, Ms.Knightly, we were all wondering if maybe you could tell us about some of your cases."

"No," Sherlock says instantly.

"Yes," John says after him.

Sherlock smiles," Yes! Absolutely, yes."

Sara bites her lip and nods,"Sure, why not."

Sherlock goes into lecture mode while Sara, Tom, and John drone him out.

'Why are we even here?' Sara thinks disgruntled. 'This man is playing with us. What is his deal? Is he pissed that Sherlock claims he is a serial killer? That can't be because he has gotten so much publicity. He is more famous then ever.' She sighs,'I just want to go home and get Sherlock sorted out. Every minute we wait he gets closer to death.'

"Mr Holmes?" Culverton interrupts Sherlock. "How do you catch a serial killer?"

Sherlock looks at him silently for a long moment before speaking. "Same way you catch any other killer."

"No, but most killers kill someone they know."

"Um, Mr Smith?" One of the nurses stutters,"Um, I-I'm just wondering. Maybe this isn't a suitable subject for the children."

Culverton gives her a harsh look, but says nothing. After a moment he turns back towards Sherlock. "Well, Serial killers choose their victims at random. Surely that must make it more difficult?"

Sherlock narrows his eyes at him,"Some of them advertise."

"Do they really?"

"Serial killing is an expression of power, ego, a signature in human destruction. Ultimately, for full satisfaction, it requires... plain sight. Additionally, serial killers are easily profiled. They tend to be social outcasts, educationally sub-normal."

"No, no, no," Culverton waves his hands dismissively," You're just talking about the ones you know, the ones you've caught."

Sherlock frowns slightly.

"But hello, you only catch the dumb ones. Now, imagine if the Queen wanted to kill some people. What would happen then?"

Sara gulps and looks around the room at the nervous faces of the children.

"All that power, all that money," Culverton continues,"Sweet little government dancing attendance. A whole country just to keep her warm and... and fat." He smiles up at Sherlock then looks round at the kids, smiling. "We all love the Queen, don't we? And I bet she'd love you lot!"

John steps forward a few paces and clears his throat,"Uh, it-it's all right, everyone. I can personally assure you that Sherlock Holmes is not about to arrest the Queen." He grins at the kids.

Culverton smiles,"Well, of course not! Not Her Majesty!"

Sherlock is staring intensely at him.

"Money, power, fame," Culverton smiles creepily. "Some things make you untouchable."

John narrows his eyes at the man,"No-one's untouchable."

Culverton raises an eyebrow,"No-one?"

Sara narrows her eyes at him, 'Maybe Sherlock is on to something...'

Culverton looks round at the children. "Look at you all! So gloomy! Can't you take a joke?" He chuckles and claps his hands together. "A big round of applause for Sherlock Holmes, Sara Knightly, and Doctor Watson!" He chuckles again and applauds while the audience clap rather unenthusiastically.

Not long afterwards, Culverton is leading Sherlock, Sara, John, and Tom, along a bright white-painted corridor.

"Where are we going now?" Sherlock questions.

"I want to show you my favorite room," Culverton answers."Come on now. Let's not waste time."

"Indeed." Sherlock looks at his watch. "You have... I estimate... twenty minutes left."

Culverton pauses,"Sorry?"

"I sent a text from your phone, remember?" Sherlock tells him,"It was read almost immediately. Factoring in a degree of shock, an emotional decision and a journey time based on the associated address, I'd say that your life as you know it has twenty minutes left to run."

Culverton clears his throat after a moment,"Come along."

Sara glances at Tom questioningly. He shrugs in response.

Shortly afterwards, they enter an elevator. John has his head lowered and is pinching the bridge of his nose. Sherlock looks uncomfortable and twitchy. Sara is curious as to where they are headed, but is wanting this to be over. And Tom seems indifferent.

"Speaking of serial killers," Culverton suddenly says,"You know who's my favorite?"

The elevator comes to a stop.

"Other than yourself?" Sherlock replies.

Culverton chuckles. The doors open and he leads the others out.

"H. H. Holmes." He leads them along a blue-painted corridor. "Relative of yours?"

Sherlock grunts,"Not as far as I know."

"You should check. What an idiot."

"Mine is Jack the Ripper," Sara pipes up. Sherlock sends her a glare but she ignores it. "I love his style, and he was also never caught."

Culverton nods,"That is true." He smirks at Sherlock,"I like her. You better keep a close eye if you want to keep her."

Sherlock grits his teeth but stays silent.

Culverton pushes through a set of double doors and looks around the room as he walks in. They are in the morgue. Several men are in the room working.

"Everyone out," Culverton orders.

The workers quickly leave the room without a word.

Sherlock and the others stop just inside the doors. Deeper in the room, a body is lying on a silver chrome examination table, covered by a sheet up to its neck.

"What do you think?" Culverton asks with a smile as he walks to the body.

"Tough crowd," Sara comments, eyeing the room with mild disinterest.

"Oh, I don't know." Culverton pulls back the sheet that covers the body, revealing the head and shoulders of the corpse of an elderly woman. "No, I've always found 'em quite pliable." As he says the last word, he reaches out to the body and pulls her jaw down with his fingers.

"Don't do that," John says, eyeing the man with disgust.

Culverton stares down at the corpse intently,"She's fine. She's dead." He smirks and finally releases her jaw. "H. H. Holmes loved the dead. He mass-produced 'em." He looks up. "D'you know what he did?"

"He built a hotel," Tom answers,"A special hotel, just to kill people."

Culverton smiles at him,"Now, I had almost forgotten that you were here. Smart man. He did build a hotel, with a hanging room, gas chamber, specially adapted furnace. You know, like Sweeney Todd ..." He reaches out to the dead woman's jaw and moves her mouth up and down with his fingers while he speaks through clenched teeth as if manipulating a ventriloquist's dummy. "Without the pies!" He chuckles, releasing her and turning away.

Sara grits her teeth as the man disrespects the corpse. 'I don't like this. We should leave.'

"Stupid. So stupid," Culverton mutters.

John grabs the sheet and pulls it over the woman's face. "Why stupid?"

"Well, all that effort." Culverton spreads his arms dramatically,"You don't build a beach if you want to hide a pebble; you just find a beach!"

Sherlock has been snooping around the room but pauses as he says that.

"And if you wanna hide a murder, or wanna hide lots and lots of murders, just find a ..."

"Hospital," Sara whispers, her eyes wide.

Culverton smiles,"Exactly."

John blinks in disbelief. He takes a step forward,"Can we be clear? Are you confessing?"

Culverton feigns innocence,"To what?" A smirk grows on his face,"You mean, am I a serial killer, or am I just trying to mess with your funny little heads? Well, it's true." He walks around the head of the table. "I do like to mess with people ...and yes, I am a bit creepy. I use it to sell breakfast cereal. But am I what he says I am?" He points at Sherlock. "Is that what you're asking?

"Yes."

Culverton walks towards John, holding up two fingers on his right hand. "There are two possible explanations for what's going on here." He gestures towards himself. "Either I'm a serial killer ..." He turns and walks towards Sherlock, pointing at him. " ... Or Sherlock Holmes is off his tits on drugs, hm? Delusional paranoia about a public personality? That's not so special. It's not even new!"

Sara looks at Sherlock, unsure what to believe. John is on the fence as well. Only Tom seems to be sure of who he believes, and that is his brother.

Sherlock looks down,"I apologize. I-I-I've miscalculated."

Sara's eyes widen.

Sherlock then brightens up,"I forgot to factor in the traffic!" Stepping forward, he looks at his watch and then at Culverton. "Nineteen and a half minutes." Sherlock walks towards the doors, dramatically cupping his left hand to his ear as there's a clunking sound some distance away. "Ah, the footsteps you're about to hear will be very familiar to you, not least because there'll be three impacts rather than two. The third, of course, will be the end of a walking cane." He looks to Culverton,"Your daughter Faith's walking cane."

Culverton frowns,"And why would she be here?"

"You invited her." He smiles tightly at him. "You sent her a text- or technically I sent her a text but she's not to know."

Culverton smirks,"Why bother? You don't know her."

"Oh, but I do. I spent a whole evening with her." Sherlock grins. "We had chips." He looks down reflectively. "I think she liked me."

Sara's heart thumps painfully. 'H-he spent an evening with another woman? Why- He wouldn't-' The possible thoughts are painfully overwhelming.

Tom grabs her hand and whispers in her ear,"Don't think like that. You know he would never cheat on you," He assures her.

She gulps and nods.

"She came to Baker Street," Sherlock says,"She came to see me because she was scared of her daddy."

Culverton shakes his head,"Never happened. Is this another one of your drug-fuelled fantasies?"

"Well, let's see, shall we?" Sherlock turns to the door and calls out,"Faith, stop loitering at the door and come in! This is your father's favourite room."

The doors open and a young woman with a walking cane walks in. She is fairly pretty, blonde hair, and glasses.

"Dad?" She questions, looking around the room a bit confused. "What's happening? What was that text? Are you having one of your jokes?" She looks at Sherlock and frowns,"Who are you?"

John and Sara frown at her question.

Sherlock frowns back at her,"Who the hell are you?" He shakes his head,"You're not her. You're not the woman who came to Baker Street."

A bit of relief floods through Sara, but now she is more concerned for his mental health as it seems he may have actually thought up the whole encounter.

The woman frowns,"Um, well, no. Never been there."

Culverton looks between them,"Well, I thought you two were-were old friends!"

Faith giggles a bit,"No! We've never met."

Culverton starts to laugh,"Oh, dear! Oh!"

Sara takes a step toward the detective,"Sherlock?"

He is staring at the floor with wide, confused eyes. He is starting to breath heavily. "So who came to my flat?"

Faith shrugs,"Well, it wasn't me."

Culverton's laughter becomes louder.

Sherlock squints at Faith,"You... look... different."

"I wasn't there," she insists.

Sherlock screws his eyes shut and grips his head. Jumbled thoughts and memories bounce throughout his mind. Even he is not sure what is real anymore. His mind palace might as well be crumbling down.

He flails his hands in front of him as Culverton continues to cackle. Putting one hand to his head, Sherlock turns away from him, bumping into a tray on a stand as a dizzy spell overtakes him. The tray rattles noisily and he flinches away, focusing briefly on the row of six scalpels lying on it.

Sherlock stops and faces Culverton, who points at him, still laughing.

"Sherlock? Are you all right? Sherlock, are you okay?" Sara questions, a look of concern on her face.

Wide-eyed, Sherlock points a shaking hand at Culverton. "Watch him. He's got a knife!"

Culverton laughs incredulously,"I've got a what?!"

"You've got a scalpel!" Sherlock shouts,"You picked it up from that table." He points to the tray he bumped into a moment ago. "I saw you take it."

"I certainly did not!" Culverton waves both his hands in the air, empty of any sort of weapon.

Sara takes another slow step toward Sherlock,"He has nothing, Sherlock. You need to calm-"

"I saw you take it! I SAW YOU!" Sherlock shouts hysterically. He points his right arm at Culverton, and in his hand... is the scalpel.

Culverton's smile turns to a look of alarm as he keeps his hands in the air and backs away. "Whoa, whoa!"

Faith backs away in fear, and Tom grabs a hold of Sara's arm and hauls her back a few feet.

John steps in between Sherlock and Culverton and holds his hands out,"Whoa, Sherlock. You wanna put that down?"

Sherlock lowers his head and shakes it, screwing his eyes shut, then stumbles back and raises his head, glaring savagely at Culverton. "Stop laughing at me," He growls.

Culverton shakes his head,"I'm not laughing!"

"He's not laughing, Sherlock," John assures him.

Sherlock then shouts savagely,"STOP LAUGHING AT ME!" He surges forward towards Culverton with the scalpel raised.

"Sherlock!" John and Sara shout.

Sara goes to intercept Sherlock, but Tom grips her waist and holds her back.

John instead seizes Sherlock's arm and knocks the scalpel from his hand. As it clatters noisily to the floor, he turns and seizes Sherlock's coat with both hands and bundles him backwards across the room and slams him hard into one of the cabinet doors. Sherlock grunts in pain.

"Let me go!" Sara hisses lowly at Tom.

"We can't reveal ourselves to Culverton or his daughter," he whispers,"John has this. In fact, he needs this."

Sara clenches her teeth, but stops trying to escape Tom's grasp.

"Stop it!" John shouts angrily at Sherlock. He pulls Sherlock forward a little and then slams him back against the cabinet again. "Stop It Now!"

John glares furiously into Sherlock's face and growls,"What are you doing?!" He slaps Sherlock hard across the face. "Wake up!"

Sara winces and tries to go to him again, only to be held back by Tom.

John punches Sherlock with all his strength and the detective falls to the floor with a cry of pain. 

"John, That's enough!" Sara shouts, but he doesn't listen.

"Is this-" John shouts and punches him again,"A game?" Another punch. "A bloody game?!"

Sherlock slumps to the ground with a groan. He grits his teeth as blood flows from his nose and tries to rise.

His face twisted with rage, John kicks Sherlock's body hard, then again. Sherlock groans and John kicks him again.

Tom finally steps in and pulls John away from his younger brother. "Come on, John. He's had enough."

John struggles against him and Culverton walks forward, holding up his hands as he walks over towards where Sherlock is lying. "Please, no violence."

Tom releases John once he has calmed down a bit. John takes a couple of steps forward, looking down grimly at Sherlock.

On the floor, Sherlock is propping himself up on his elbow. He is trembling and bloodstained saliva is dripping from his mouth. 

Sara bites her lip and looks at Sherlock anxiously. She wants to go over to him... but she is not sure if she should to be honest. He brought this upon himself.

John is breathing heavily, looking like he still wants another hit in.

"Leave him be," Culverton pleads, looking all innocent again.

"No, it's-it's okay," Sherlock says shakily,"Let him do what he wants. He's entitled." He lifts his head and makes eye contact with John. "I killed his wife."

John steps forward a little, breathing sharply through his nose. He stares down at Sherlock,"Yes, you did." His voice tight with repressed tears. He holds Sherlock's gaze, breathing shakily through his nose. Sherlock continues to look up at him for a moment and then slowly, looks down at the ground.

Sara is shaking her head sadly. 'Please don't believe that, Sherlock. You did not kill her.'

John stares at him for a little longer and then slowly turns around, wiping his left hand under his nose, and walks away.

Unable to stop herself, Sara finally goes to Sherlock's side.

"Sherlock?" She asks softly,"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," he grunts before slipping unconscious.

Sara's eyes widen,"Sherlock?!"

Tom joins her and checks Sherlock's pulse and checks his eyes. He sighs and turns to Sara,"He isn't doing good. John's punishment seemed to be the final push. His body couldn't take it anymore. He needs to be hospitalized and monitored if he wants to get through the night."

Culverton smiles,"Well, it's a good thing we are in a hospital then. I will have him set up in a room in no time."

Sara frowns at him suspiciously,"Your not mad?"

He waves his hand dismissively,"Everyone has a breaking point. No one got hurt, well except for him, so it is water under the bridge."

She purses her lips and looks back to Sherlock's bloodied face. Sighing, she nods,"Thank you."


	60. You cock

Chapter 60:

3rd person POV:

Sara, John, and Tom are currently in a dim hospital room. Sherlock lies on a bed with an assortment of machines connected to him. He still hasn't woken since the fight with John.

Sara stands next to the bed, an anxious look on her face.

"It's going to be alright, Sara," John assures her.

She sighs and crosses her arms,"Every moment he is here, he is in danger. The doctors might find something wrong with his blood, he might wake up and attack someone, he-"

John puts a hand on her shoulder,"He will be fine," he assures her. "He is in no condition to hurt anyone, and Culverton has given us full disclosure on what goes on in this room. As far as anyone knows, Sherlock has done some nasty drugs and they are cleaning his blood of it. Besides, I'm sure doctors won't know what vampire blood looks like."

Sara goes to say something but a nurse walks into the room.

"Oh, hi," She greets them, looking a bit surprised that someone is still here at this time of night. She walks to Sherlock's side and checks his vitals. "Just in to say hello?" She asks them.

John shakes his head,"No. I'm just in to say goodbye."

The nurse smiles,"I'm sure he'll pull through. He's made a terrible mess of himself, but he's awfully strong, so must look on the bright side."

Sara bites her lip and gazes down at her boyfriend. He looks like a mess. Bruises cover his face still since his fast healing is weakened from the poisonous blood he has been consuming.

Tom lays a comforting hand on her shoulder and gives her a soft smile.

John clears his throat,"Well..." he walks towards a chair near the bed and leans his cane against it. He had skipped back to his place for it while Sherlock was being set up in his room. "Parting gift," John adds as the nurse gives a strange look.

The nurse smiles,"Oh, that's nice. A walking stick."

Sara stares at it sadly, knowing the meaning behind it.

John nods,"Yeah, it was mine from... a long time ago." He lets out a sigh and looks to Sara and Tom. "I'm going to head out."

Sara frowns,"Are you sure?"

John nods,"Yeah. ...I think it's for the best."

Tom reaches over and gives his shoulder a pat,"It was nice to see you again, John."

Doctor Watson gives him a weak smile,"Yes, if only under better circumstances." He gives Sara a smile then heads for the door.

The phone to the room rings and the nurses picks it up. "Hello? Ward seventy-three." She pauses a moment then calls out to John who has just walked out the door. "Oh, uh, Doctor Watson?"

He re-enters the room,"Hm?"

"It's for you."

John frowns, then makes an exasperated sound. He walks further into the room and grabs the phone from the nurse. "Hello, Mycroft."

'There's a car downstairs,' Mycroft says,'Oh, it's for you two as well.' He calls out, knowing that his brother and Sara are listening.

Sara frowns and glances at Tom. He gives a sigh,"Let's go see what my brother wants."

~

A dozen agents are milling about 221b. They are scouring the messy flat while Mycroft Holmes sits in his younger brother's chair and watches.

"Where's Mrs Hudson?" Mycroft questions as Sara, John, and Tom enter the flat.

"She'll be up in a moment," an agent answers.

"Uh, what are you doing?" John questions as he steps over papers and other things that clutter the floor.

"Have you noticed the kitchen?" Mycroft asks and stands,"It's practically a meth lab. I'm trying to establish exactly what drove Sherlock off the rails." He looks to Tom,"Oh, and brother mine, you have a plane to catch."

Tom frowns,"Excuse me?"

"You are being sent on a mission."

"I am not leaving. Not while Sherlock is like this," Tom argues.

Mycroft narrows his eyes,"Sherlock will be fine. The Prime Minister, however, will not be if you do not get on that flight. Must I remind you that our problems are merely a spec in the whole scheme of things. England needs you, and you have no right to refuse."

"Just get someone else to do it," Sara says.

Mycroft gives her a snarky smile,"Are you volunteering?"

She frowns,"No."

"That's what I thought. That is precisely why I chose Thomas for this mission, as I knew you would never leave Sherlock's side right now." He turns back to his brother and taps his watch,"You have thirty minutes."

Tom growls then spins on his heel and leaves the flat.

Sara glares at Mycroft,"Was that really necessary?"

"You know it was."

John looks around at all the strangers in the flat,"Uh, are you using spooks now to look after your family?"

"Sherlock is a security concern," Mycroft answers cooly,"The fact that I'm his brother changes nothing."

Sara crosses her arms and sits in Sherlock's seat,"Why are we even here?"

Mycroft glances at her,"Because I want to know what drove Sherlock to this and you two are the closest to him." He stands by the fireplace,"Why fixate on Culverton Smith? He's had his obsessions before, of course, but this goes a bit further than the others."

"That is what I am wondering," Sara murmurs.

"Spending all night talking to a woman who wasn't even there." Mycroft looks off pensively ,"Maybe he finally lost it. We all saw it coming to be honest. It started back when Tom went away to college, it was just us three-" His eyes widen a fraction and he clears his throat,"Sherlock has always been a loner with psychopathic tendencies. He-"

John frowns,"Wait a minute. What did you just say?"

Mycroft shakes his head,"Nothing. A slip of the tongue-"

"Three?" John's eyes widen in disbelief,"Sherlock and Tom aren't your only brothers. There is another one, isn't there?"

Sara's eyes widen,"T-that's impossible."

Mycroft's face is stone cold. "No."

John chuckles,"Jesus! A secret brother! What, is he locked up in a tower or something?"

Before Mycroft can answer, Mrs.Hudson walks into the room.

"Mycroft Holmes!"

He sighs silently and lowers his head.

"What are all these dreadful people doing in my house?" Mrs. H demands.

Sara sighs and puts her head in her hands while the others talk. 'How could everything have gone to shit so fast?' she asks herself. 'Something had an impact on Sherlock, enough to make him do all this. What-'

"Sara?" John calls out.

She raises her head,"Yes?"

He holds up a DvD and her blood runs cold. Written on the front of it is 'MISS ME?'

They quickly hook up the DVD player and stare at the television anxiously. All the spooks have stopped their work and stand watching the screen as well.

'If you're watching this, ...I'm probably dead.'

John straightens up and backs away from the TV, holding out one hand. "Okay, no. S-stop that now, please." He turns away and slowly walks across the room. Sara stands and walks over to him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder while Mrs Hudson pauses the video.

"Everybody out, now. All of you," Mrs.Hudson orders sternly. "This is my house," she gestures towards John. "This is my friend," she points back towards the TV. "And that's his departed wife. Anyone who stays here a minute longer is admitting to me personally they do not have a single spark of human decency."

After a brief hesitation, everybody else turns and quietly starts to leave the room. Mycroft remains where he is, his arms folded in front of him as he faces the TV. Mrs H looks at him, then walks across to stand close to him.

"Get out of my house," She growls,"You reptile!"

He stares at her startled. After a moment of her glaring at him, he finally collects his umbrella and leaves with his nose upturned.

John and Sara move to sit in front of the Tv, then Mrs.Hudson plays the video.

'I'm giving you a case, Sherlock,' Mary's voice rings out through the speakers. The screen is black. 'Might be the hardest case of your career.' Mary appears on the screen. 'When I'm gone– if I'm gone – I need you to do something for me.' She stares intently through the screen,'Save John Watson.'

John grimaces and shakes his head slightly. Sara eyes him worriedly then returns her gaze to the tv.

'Save him, Sherlock. Don't think anyone else is going to save him, because there isn't anyone. It's up to you. Save him. But I do think you're gonna need a little bit of help with that, because you're not exactly good with people, so here's a few things you need to know about the man we both love – and more importantly what you're going to need to do to save him.'

Sara gulps and looks down,'Why didn't she reach out to me?' she asks herself,'Did she not trust me to save John? I've known him longer than Sherlock has. I could have helped-' She sighs,'I should have. I thought by giving them both space that things would work out, but I guess I should have taken some sort of action.'

'John Watson never accepts help, not from anyone. Not ever,' Mary says,'But here's the thing: he never refuses it. So, here's what you are going to do. You can't save John because he won't let you. He won't allow himself to be saved. The only way to save John ... is to make him save you.'

Sara's eyes widen in realization.

'Go to Hell, Sherlock,' Mary says,'Go right into Hell, and make it look like you mean it. Go and pick a fight with a bad guy. Put yourself in harm's way. If he thinks you need him, I swear... he will be there.'

Sara clenches her hands into fists and stands. 'That bitch! I love Mary, but how dare she tell Sherlock to try and get himself killed just so John will maybe save him!' She grits her teeth,'It all makes sense now. That means- Oh god, Sherlock is in trouble!'

Sara and John lock eyes. He stands and they rush out of the flat. Mrs. Hudson hurries after them.

"John!" She calls out. She reaches him and hands him her car keys. "My car."

John takes them and nods, then follows Sara out to the streets.

Soon they are speeding down through the streets in the sport's car. Sara has Lestrade on speaker phone.

"Please, I don't think he's safe," John says to Greg.

'No, he's fine,' Greg assures,'I've got a man on the door. What do you think's happened?'

"We don't know! Something!" Sara says,"Mary left a message."

'What message?'

"It's not important right now. Sherlock is in trouble!" Sara insists.

Greg sighs,'I'll call up my guy.'

Sara ends the call and sits anxiously in her seat as John speeds down the road. He glances at her. "It'll be okay, Sara."

She gulps,"I hope so. Otherwise I'll give Mycroft hell for making me leave him."

They finally reach the hospital and Sara is out of the car before it has even stopped. She flits through the hospital at vampiric speed, not giving a fuck if someone sees her.

She reaches the door to Sherlock's room. The police officer isn't there. She tries to open the door but it is locked from the inside.

Growling, she backs up a few steps then kicks in the door.

Inside, Sherlock is laying, unmoving, on his bed and the heart monitor goes into a long single tone. Next him is Culverton Smith.

Sara charges over to the man and shoves him against a wall, holding him by his throat. "What were you doing to him?!" She growls.

John then runs into the room, followed by a police officer.

Sherlock's eyes flutter open and he breathes in weakly.

John runs to Sara and tries to pull her from Culverton. "Let him go, your going to kill him," he whispers to her.

She finally releases him and goes to Sherlock's side while John hands Culverton over to the officer.

"Sherlock, what was he doing to you?" Sara questions, checking him over for injuries.

"He's in distress! I-I was helping him!" Culverton stutters.

"Suffocating me, overdosing me," Sherlock says weakly.

"On what?" John questions.

"Saline."

Sara and John frown,"Saline?"

Sherlock coughs a bit,"Well obviously I got the nurse to switch the bags. She's a big fan, you know? Loves my blog."

John frowns down at him. "...You're okay?"

"No-no, of course I'm not okay. Malnourished, double kidney failure, and frankly I've been off my tits for weeks." He squints up at John. "What kind of a doctor are you?"

Culverton clears his throat,"Well, he seems to be delirious. So I think I will just be going-"

"I got my confession," Sherlock announces. He looks across to Culverton, who pulled himself free of the police officer.

"I don't recall making any confession. What would I be confessing to?" Culverton questions.

"You can listen to it later."

"But there is no confession to listen to!" He stops and gasps, holding up his hands. "Oh, Mr Holmes. I-I don't know if this is relevant, but we found three potential recording devices in the pockets of your coat. Um, all your possessions were searched." He smirks,"Sorry."

Sherlock looks down almost reflectively,"Must be something comforting about the number three. People always give up after three." He raises his eyes to Culverton, then looks at John.

John frowns,"What? What is it?"

Sherlock stays silent, a slight smile forming on his face while he waits.

After a moment John sighs in exasperation. "You cock."

Sherlock smiles fully,"Yeah."

"You utter, utter cock." John walks to the side of the bed and grabs his cane. "So how-how does it open?"

"Screw the top."

Sara face palms.

John takes hold of the handle and starts to turn it. He pulls the handle off the cane, revealing a small device inside the stick which is glowing bright red. John pulls the recording device out and the bulb goes out. He looks across to Sherlock. "Two weeks ago?"

"Three."

"I'm that predictable?"

Sherlock smirks,"No. I'm just a cock."

Culverton stumbles on the spot, staring at the recording device, his face full of despair.

While the police officer takes Culverton away, Sara bends down and wraps her arms around Sherlock tightly, silently sobbing into his chest. He winces a bit and so she loosens up her grip.

"Why the tears?" he questions, slightly confused,"Did you really think I would die so easily?"

She gives a half laugh,"More like relieved that you haven't gone entirely off your rocker. You did this for John," she frowns,"Why did you keep this from me? I broke up with you because of this, Sherlock."

"I knew you wouldn't let me go through with it," he tells her with a sigh. He takes her hand,"I am sorry to put you through this. I can be one track minded at times."

Sara punches his shoulder making him wince again. "We are going to get you healthy again and then you will never do something like this again!" she warns menacingly.

He nods,"Never."

She sighs in relief and takes a seat in the chair next to his bed. She looks down at her hands,"...I am sorry that I did not believe you, about Culverton and all that."

He waves it off,"With the way I was acting I don't blame you. At times I wasn't sure what was real anymore."

John stands by silently, happy that his friends have made up but he knows it will take time for them to get back to the way they used to be. He can't help but feel a bit responsible for their breakup, but in the end it was Sherlock who made this decision. John still cannot fathom why he would go to such lengths for just himself. But that shows who Sherlock really is, and how much he values their friendship. He can be impulsive, crass, overall annoying at times, but he is a good man.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________


	61. It is what it is

Chapter 61:

3rd person POV:

"I had, of course, several other backup plans. Trouble is, I couldn't remember what they were," Sherlock says to John.

They are currently in 221b having tea in their usual chairs. It has been a day since Sherlock was released from the hospital. He is already looking a lot healthier. 

The flat has been cleaned and now looks the same as it always has.

"And, of course, I hadn't really anticipated that I'd hallucinated meeting his daughter," Sherlock says and looks down at his cup. "Still a bit troubled by the daughter. Did seem very real, and she gave me information I couldn't have acquired elsewhere."

John stares at him,"So you dreamed up a magic woman who told you things you didn't know."

Sherlock raises his eyes to him,"Perhaps the deadman blood opened certain doors in my mind." He looks away again, thinking about it. "I'm intrigued." He takes drink from his cup.

"Oh, I know you are," John mutters. He glances out the window. "Which is why we're all taking it in turns to keep you off the sweeties."

Sherlock smiles slightly,"I thought we were just hanging out."

John looks at his watch, then looks up again. "Sara will be here in about twenty minutes."

"Oh, I think I can last twenty minutes without supervision."

John looks down in thought,"Well, if you're sure." He lifts his cup to drink from it. Sherlock turns his head, looking a little hurt.

John puts his cup down. "Uh, sorry, it's just, um, you know, Rosie. You'll be okay for twenty minutes?"

"Yes. Sorry, I-I wasn't thinking of Rosie."

John stands,"No problem."

"I should, uh, come and see her soon," Sherlock looks up hopefully at John.

"Yes," John responds flatly. He makes a move for the door but then pauses.

"...Are you okay?" Sherlock asks.

John laughs sarcastically,"No, I'm not okay. I'm never gonna be okay." He turns to Sherlock. "...But we'll just have to accept that. It is what it is; and what it is, is... shit."

Sherlock lowers his eyes and nods understandingly.

John pulls in a breath through his nose and lowers his own head. "...Y-you didn't kill Mary."

Sherlock's eyes snap up to look at him.

"Mary died saving your life. It was her choice. No-one made her do it. No-one could ever make her do anything. ...She didn't want to be turned, and it was unfair to blame you. ...But the point is: you did not kill her." He gives a brief, tight smile,"It is what it is." John takes another deep breath,"Uh, I'll see you tomorrow then."

Sherlock raises his cup to him in a toast and smiles,"Looking forward to it."

John nods,"Yeah." He turns to leave but pauses once more. Something has been nagging at his mind for some time now.

"Problem?" Sherlock asks.

John squeezes his eyes shut and clenches his hands into fists. "You bloody moron!" he suddenly explodes in rage.

Sherlock stares up at him in shock.

"She's out there," John points towards the stairs,"She loves you, and she's alive," he shouts. Glaring at Sherlock,"Do you have any idea how lucky you are?"

Sherlock looks at a loss for words.

"You are pushing Sara away. You are pushing away the best thing that has ever and will ever happen to you!" John grows at his friend,"She has been there for you and you just keep making it easier for her to walk away. She saved your life! She reunited you with your brother. She has forgiven you countless times already. She..." He stops, unable to find the words.

"What?" Sherlock urges.

"Just talk to her, apologize," John almost pleads,"Beg for her forgiveness."

"Why?"

John sighs, and runs a hand over his face,"Just text her. Phone her. Do something while there's still a chance, because that chance doesn't last forever. Trust me, Sherlock, it's gone before you know it."

Sherlock looks down,"...I will do my best. I fear that one more screw up and she will leave me for good."

"Then don't screw up." John closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. After a moment he speaks,"She was wrong about me."

Sherlock looks up at him,"Who? Mary? How so?"

John looks out the window,"She thought that if you put yourself in harm's way I'd ... I'd rescue you or something. But I didn't – not until she told me to. And that's how this works. That's what you're missing. She taught me to be the man she already thought I was."

Sherlock frowns,"Forgive me, but you are doing yourself a disservice. I have known many people in this world but made few friends, and I can safely say-"

"I cheated on her."

Sherlock stops. A small gasp is heard from the hall but John doesn't hear it. Sara stands just outside the flat door, covering her mouth in shock. She finished her business with Mycroft early and decided to head back to Baker street, but she had no idea she would come into this.

"No clever comeback?" John questions. "I cheated on Mary. There was a woman on the bus, and I had a plastic daisy in my hair. I'd been playing with Rosie." He clenches his hands into fists,"That's all it took, a smile." He reveals. "We texted constantly. You wanna know when? Every time Mary left the room, that's when. When she was feeding our daughter; when she was stopping her from crying – that's when." John swallows, his eyes starting to fill with guilty tears. "That's all it was, just texting. ...But I wanted more. And do you know something? I still do. I'm not the man you thought I was, I'm not the man she thought I was; I'm not that guy. I never could be. But that's the point." He sniffs, his throat closing up with emotion. "That's the whole point. Who she thought I was... is the man who I want to be." He swallows, fighting off his tears.

The door creaks open and Sara steps into the room with angry tears in her eyes. "How could you?" She growls.

John looks at her then closes his eyes and takes in a stuttering breath,"I-I was weak."

"Your an asshole! She had your child, and now she is dead!" Sara barks.

Sherlock stands and walks to her,"Sara-" he tries to calm her down but she pushes him aside.

She points a finger at John,"You never deserved her-"

"I KNOW!" John shouts. He looks at her with tears running down his face. "I know," he says again in a broken voice,"...And I will never be able to tell her... how sorry I am."

Sara goes to rip into him more but pauses. She takes in the site of the broken down man and decides to hold her tongue. He knows what he did, and he hates himself for it.

John lowers his head into his hands and sobs. Slowly Sherlock walks across to him.

"It's okay," Sherlock murmurs. He tentatively puts his arms around his friend and holds him.

"It's not okay," John sobs into his shoulder.

"No," Sherlock says softly and lowers his cheek onto the top of John's head. "But it is what it is." Blinking against his own tears, he continues to hold his sobbing best friend.

Sara watches them with tearful eyes. She takes a step toward them, hesitates, then turns and leaves the flat.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	62. We may fight, but I will never stop loving this man

Chapter 62:

Sara's POV:

It has been two weeks since the mess with Culverton. John and Sherlock have regained most of their friendship and things are starting to go back to the way they used to be... Well not everything is the same.

Things are a bit... tense between Sherlock and I. We have cleansed the deadman blood from his system and he is now back to his normal self, but things aren't the same between us. He risked his life and let me think that he didn't care about me anymore. He was so focused on his own selfish desires that he just ignored me. I get that he can't lose John, but does that make me dispensable to him then? Even fucking Mary didn't seem to trust me with saving John.

I sigh and lean back on my bed, which actually used to be John's bed. He is still living in his own flat with Rosie, so I moved into his old room to watch over Sherlock. He is still in danger of returning to deadman blood.

It feels like Sherlock loved me more when he was human. ...Did-did he just want my power? Has he been using me all this time?

I groan and cover my face with my pillow. I wish Tom was here. He is a great person to talk to when I need advice, but sadly I haven't been able to get a hold of him since he left for his mission.

A knock on my door brings me from my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I ask, removing the pillow from my face.

Sherlock creaks the door open and peaks his head in,"I, uh, made dinner," he says a bit awkwardly.

I frown,"...You made dinner? Like, you didn't just order takeout?"

He clears his throat,"I didn't spend three hours in the kitchen ordering takeout," he then mutters,"...Wish I had."

I sit up and sniff the air. There is a strong burnt smell coming from the kitchen. I guess he did cook.

I stand,"Let's eat then."

I follow him downstairs and into the kitchen. I let out an exasperated sigh when I see the mess he has made.

"I made pizza. ...Well, I tried," he mumbles,"...I thought you would like it... since your Italian."

Stereotype much.

I stand next to the table and look over the "pizza" he made. The crust is burnt and lumpy, the sauce has chunks of tomato and some type of green substance, and the cheese has been burnt into a charred layer atop everything. I also see some black things that I think may have been pepperonis at one point.

He clears his throat and pulls out his phone,"I am just going to order takeout. Preference?"

A small smile works its way onto my lips. It's hard to be angry at him when he does things like this. "Yeah, that might be for the best. I don't think this is edible for even vampires." I walk to the stove and make some room to heat up the kettle. "Chinese sounds good."

Sherlock and nods and starts dialing,"Chinese it is then."

"Tea?" I ask after he has ordered our food.

"Please."

"Hey, first you need to clean up this mess," I tell him.

He sighs,"Fineee."

I help him clean until I food comes. I am still astonished that he was able to make this much of a mess just trying to make a pizza.

"...So, John is coming over with Rosie tomorrow," Sherlock says after a few moments of silence.

I nod as I wash a bowl in the sink.

Sherlock lets out a sigh,"Are just going to keep on ignoring him?"

"He lost my respect. I will tolerate him, but I will never see him the same way as I did before," I answer, scrubbing the bowl harder. "I-I thought he was better than that. ...Everyone did I suppose."

"Everyone makes mistakes, Sara. He regrets it everyday. I can still see the guilt in his eyes, and the pain in them when you ignore him." I can feel Sherlock's eyes on me. "You are one of his closest friends and I know he is one of yours, don't let this get between you two."

I grit my teeth. "Your one to talk."

"Excuse me?"

I drop the bowl into the soapy water and turn around to face him,"What about when you ignored me, huh? When you put yourself in harms way just to get John back, while I was in the background watching you hurt yourself and I couldn't do anything about it because you kept pushing me away!"

Sherlock squeezes his eyes shut,"I was pushing you away in case it didn't work."

I frown,"What do you-"

"If John didn't save me, if the plan didn't work and I died, I didn't want you to feel responsible," he tells me. "It was between Mary, John, and I. I didn't want you to get involved if it didn't work out."

I look down, biting my lip. "...I understand, but it still hurt," I tell him, raising my eyes to his,"What-what are we doing?"

He frowns,"What do you mean?"

I lift my shoulders in exasperation,"We are fine one minute and then something happens and we break up. How many times are we going to do this?" I close my eyes and groan,"My god, we are like a fucking teenage drama."

"Sara, I promise-"

I stop him right there. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

He sighs and walks to me,"Fine, I won't promise. Because your right. We do not know what will happen in the future, but we do have a choice. And my choice is you." He takes my hands in his,"I may seem ungrateful, ignore you, and push you away, but know that I will always love you. We can choose to push past the hard times, or we can end it all now." He looks down at me with soft eyes,"Do you want to give up all the good times we can have?"

I look down at our hands in deep thought. This situation reminds me very much of when I broke up with Tom all those years ago. I left him because I didn't want to see him turn into a monster because of the choice I made. I made the selfish decision to leave, thinking I was saving him from the darkness I had. But if I would have stuck with him, we could have probably lived happily for decades. I don't feel the same way about him now as I used to, but I do not want to make the same mistake with Sherlock.

I gulp and look up into his eyes,"I want to be with you... but I think we should take it slow. I'm just not quite ready for things to just go back to the way they used to be. We need to learn from this, not forget it entirely."

Sherlock nods,"Of course. Take your time, as long as you don't leave I will be happy."

A knock from outside the flat is heard. I smile,"Food's here."

"I'll get it." Sherlock releases my hands but sneaks a kiss on my cheek before he leaves to get the food.

My cheeks flush.

We may fight, but I will never stop loving this man.


	63. Everything is revealed

Chapter 63:

3rd person POV:

John is again sitting in the chair in his therapist's house, his legs crossed in front of him.

"You seem so much better, John," His therapist acknowledges.

John nods,"Yeah, I- I am. I think I am. Not all day; not every day, but, uh, you know."

"It is what it is?"

"Yeah."

"And Rosie?" She asks.

He smiles,"Oh, beautiful, perfect."

"Good. And Sara Knightly?"

John pauses and looks down,"...Things are a bit tense. She is talking to me again, but only when needed."

His therapist nods understandingly,"Give it time. I am sure she will come around."

John nods,"I hope so."

"So, how is Sherlock Holmes?"

"Back to normal."

"What about his brother?"

"Tom?" John shrugs,"He's fine. Away on business at the moment."

"I didn't mean Tom."

John frowns,"Uh, Mycroft is fine too I guess."

"I meant the other one."

John frowns,"W-Which other one?"

She smiles,"You know, the secret one."

John then smiles and chuckles,"Oh, that was just something I said..." he stops and looks at her for a long moment. "...How did you know about that? I didn't tell you that."

She remains unfazed and smiles,"You must have."

"I really didn't."

"Well, maybe Sherlock told me."

John shift forward in his seat,"No, you've met Sherlock exactly once. In this room. He was off his head."

"Oh, no, no. I met him before that," she tells him.

"When?"

She smiles,"We spent a night together." She cocks her head to the side. "It was lovely. We had chips..."

John frowns, starting to feel very uneasy.

The woman takes off her glasses,"Culverton gave me Faith's original note." She stands up. "A mutual friend put us in touch." She walks across to the French doors and locks them with a key. As she speaks, the german accent she once had is starting to slip into an english one. "Did Sherlock ever tell you about the note? I added some deductions for Sherlock. He was... quite good." She walks across to a table and drops her glasses on it. Then proceeds to take out one of her brown colored contact lenses. She turns towards John, now with one blue eye and one brown eye. "But... he didn't get the big one." She walks over to John. "In fairness, though, he does have excellent taste in chips." She reaches up and brushes her hair back. She has a white plastic daisy-like flower behind her ear.

John gapes at the site,"W-What's that?"

She plays dumb,"What's what?"

"The flower in your hair: it's like I had on the bus."

She takes the flower from her hair and stares at it,"You looked very sweet. But then..." she bends down and looks into his eyes, and speaks in a Scottish accent,"...You have such nice eyes."

John's eyes widen in realization and he sits back, feeling as if all his strength as left him.

"Amazing the times a man doesn't really look at your face. Oh, you can hide behind a sexy smile, or a walking cane... or just be a therapist, talking about you... all the time." She walks back to the table with her glasses on it.

John feels his body react before his mind does. His fight or flight instincts kicking in as he stands up, ready to leave.

He is stopped by the woman aiming a pistol at him. "Oh, please don't go anywhere. I wouldn't want to make a mess."

John raises his hands and takes a small step back,"Who are you?"

She lowers the gun,"Isn't it obvious? Haven't you guessed?" She takes a few steps toward him,"I'm Eurus."

John shakes his head,"Eurus?"

"Silly name, isn't it? Greek. Means the East Wind."

John stares at her with wide eyes.

"My parents loved silly names, like Eurus ... or Sherrinford, or Mycroft ... or Sherlock."

John's mouth drops open a little.

Eurus giggles a little,"Oh, look at him. Didn't it ever occur to you – not even once – that Sherlock's secret brother might just be Sherlock's secret sister?"

John blinks, frowning.

Her smiles drops and she cocks her head to the side,"Huh. He's making a funny face." She raises her gun and points it at him. "I think I'll put a hole in it."

Eurus pulls the trigger.


	64. Tell the truth

Chapter 64:

Sara's POV:

I let out an aggravated breath as I stalk down the long driveway to Mycroft's house. 

He didn't listen to me. I shouldn't have expected him to though.

Inside, I can hear the sound of Sherlock tormenting his brother.

"Coming to get you!" A little girl sings from within the house. "There's an East Wind coming, Mycroft! Coming to get you!"

I slam open the locked front door and see Mycroft standing with his back pressed against a wall, looking scared shitless while a little creepy girl stands before him. I also see a clown by the staircase.

Mycroft looks at me with wide eyes,"S-Sara?"

I put my hands on my hips. "Really, Sherlock?" I question,"I thought I told you not to do this."

There is a groan from the upstairs. Sherlock then leaves his hiding place and glares down at me,"You ruined it!"

I cross my arms,"This isn't helping. I don't believe that Mycroft had anything to do with her."

John walks into view and scoffs,"So some crazy lady claiming to be their sister, just happened do all this on her own?" he points to Mycroft,"And the bloody government had no idea about it?"

"We do not have a sister!" Mycroft insists.

I turn and narrows my eyes at him,"You are not out of the doghouse yet. If you forgot, I can tell when your lying. And you are doing it right now."

Mycroft starts to argue but I stop him with a wave of my hand. "It's late. Let's pick this conversation up tomorrow," I tell him.

"It is not late to us," Sherlock points out. He walks down the stairs with John at his heels. "I say we get everything clear right now."

I cross my arms,"Breaking into his house late at night and scaring the shit out of him isn't going to make him tell you anything."

Mycroft nods,"Exactly. Now get out!" He growls.

Sherlock grits his teeth,"Fine. Come to 221b tomorrow. If you do not, I will come back." He then leaves with John and his homeless friends who helped scare Mycroft.

Once they are gone, Mycroft lets out a relieved sigh. "Thank you for that, Sara. I do not know what I would do if you weren't here to keep my brother in check."

I smirk at him,"Probably go insane." I start to back my way to the front door. "Don't forget! Tomorrow. Baker street."

"Fine. I will be there."

I send him a smile and leave his home.

~

"John gone?" I ask as I walk into the 221b.

Sherlock lounges in his chair, watching crap tv as he munches in some popcorn. "Yep."

I nod and shrug off my jacket. I hang it on the back of the door then walk to John's chair and take a seat. Sherlock stays silent, his focus fully on whatever show is playing.

I sigh,"Don't sulk because I ruined your fun."

"I'm not sulking. I just happen to like this show."

I turn my attention the the tv then glances back to Sherlock with an eyebrow raised,"When have you ever watched 'The Big Bang Theory'?"

"I'm watching it now."

I roll my eyes,"Well, Mycroft said he would come tomorrow, so no more terrorizing him."

"Fine," he groans like a child.

I stand,"I'm headed to bed, you should too. I am sure tomorrow will be interesting."

He looks over at me a bit hopeful,"Where are you sleeping?"

"My bed."

He frowns,"...My bed is free, just so you know."

I smile a bit,"Does Sherlock Holmes want to cuddle?"

He glowers at me,"I haven't slept good in weeks. My body is just used to your company."

"You didn't deny it," I tease. Before he can argue more, I walk to him and pull him to his feet. "Come on then."

A smile brightens up his face as he follows me to his room.

~

The next morning we are sitting in the main room. Sherlock and John in their chairs and me perched on the arm of Sherlock's chair, just like old times.

Mycroft sits in the client chair before us and looks at his brother with an amused expression. "So what happens now? Are you going to make deductions?"

"You're going to tell the truth, Mycroft, pure and simple," Sherlock answers.

Mycroft stares cooly at his brother, not making a move to talk.

"So there were four of us," Sherlock says,"I know that now. You, me, Tom, and... Eurus."

Mycroft shakes his head and stands,"You do realize how ridiculous this is, don't you? Of course we don't have a sister-"

"Mycroft," I give him a warning look,"Sit down."

"...It's not possible," Mycroft murmurs.

"It's more than possible," Sherlock says,"She was John's therapist."

John nods,"Shot me during a session."

"Only with a tranquilizer," I add.

Mycroft narrows his eyes but sits back down. "Fine. Yes, we had a sister."

I frown,"Had?"

"A sister I can't remember," Sherlock hums,"Interesting name, Eurus. It's Greek, isn't it?"

John nods,"Yeah, literally 'the god of the East Wind'."

Mycroft sighs,"Yes."

"'The East Wind is coming, Sherlock'. You used that to scare me."

"No," Mycroft denies.

"You turned my sister into a ghost story."

"Of course I didn't. I monitored you."

"You what?" John questions.

Mycroft looks at him,"Memories can resurface; wounds can re-open. The roads we walk have demons beneath," he turns his gaze to Sherlock,"And yours have been waiting for a very long time. I never bullied you. I used – at discrete intervals – potential trigger words to update myself as to your mental condition. I was looking after you."

Sherlock narrows his eyes,"Why can't I remember her? Why did our parents never talk about her?"

Mycroft lowers his eyes and sighs,"Because it was too painful for them to bring up. That was a dark time in the Holmes household."

"This must have happened a long time ago then," I mutter in thought,"Because when I met Tom and the rest of your family, there was no sister. Sherlock, you must have only been nine or ten at the time."

Mycroft nods,"It happened a few years before you came into the picture."

"So there were four Holmes kids," John states. He pulls out a small notebook and pen,"What was the age gap?"

Of course John would be taking notes. Always thinking of his blog.

"Five years between Tom and myself; seven between Sherlock and I; and one year between Sherlock and Eurus."

"So did she have it too?" I question.

"Have what?"

"The deduction thing."

Mycroft raises an amused eyebrow,"The deduction thing?"

I roll my eyes,"You know what I mean."

Mycroft nods,"Yes, she did. In fact, she may have been the smartest out of all of us." He looks at the fireplace reflectively,"I believe Thomas has great potential, but he always chose to fit in with the normal crowd. In any sense, he was the most normal of the Holmes children, especially when he chose to go by Tom instead of Sherrinford. So, I was seen as the genius, but then Eurus came along. ... Even at the age of six, she was deemed remarkable, an era-defining genius."

"Then why don't I remember her?" Sherlock questions again.

Mycroft sighs and looks at his brother,"You do remember her, in a way. Every choice you ever made; every path you've ever taken – the man you are today ... is your memory of Eurus." He looks away in thought,"She was different from the beginning. She knew things she should never have known... as if she was somehow aware of truths beyond the normal scope." He blinks and straightens up in his chair, looking a bit unsettled.

I frown,"What's wrong?"

He shakes his head and looks down,"Sorry. The memories are disturbing."

Sherlock frowns,"What do you mean? Examples."

"They found her with a knife once," Mycroft tells us,"She seemed to be cutting herself. Mother and Father were terrified. They thought it was a suicide attempt. But when I asked Eurus what she was doing, she said...'I wanted to see how my muscles worked'."

John's eyes widen,"Jesus."

Mycroft continues,"So I asked her if she felt pain, and she said... 'Which one's pain'?"

My eyes widen.

"What happened?" Sherlock asks softly.

Mycroft presses his lips together,"Musgrave. The ancestral home, where there was always honey for tea, and Sherlock played among the funny gravestones."

"Funny how?" John asks.

"They weren't real. The dates were all wrong. An architectural joke which fascinated Sherlock. He used to run through the gravestones with Redbeard."

"Redbeard?" John questions.

That name sounds familiar. "...That was your dog, right?"

Sherlock nods. Mycroft's frowns suspispiusly at me,"How did you know that?"

"Tom mentioned it once to me."

Mycroft hums and turns back to his brother,"Eurus took Redbeard and locked him up somewhere no-one could find him. She refused to say where he was."

Sherlock looks at the floor, seemingly trying to remember.

"We begged and begged her to tell us where he was. But she said nothing."

Sherlock looks at his brother,"What happened to Redbeard?"

Mycroft shakes his head,"We never found him. But she started calling him 'Drowned Redbeard,' so we made our assumptions." He looks at me and John,"Sherlock was traumatised. Natural, I suppose. In the early days, he was an emotional child; but after that he was different, so changed. Never spoke of it again. In time, he seemed to forget that Eurus had ever even existed."

"How could he forget? She was living in the same house," John says in confusion.

Mycroft looks down with a sad expression,"No, she wasn't. Only days after Redbeard went missing... so did Eurus. We searched for weeks, but never found a trace of either of them. There was a river close to where we lived, we often played there. We had assumed that she may have been caught in the current and drowned as well." He raises his gaze to his brother,"Whoever you both met, it can't have been her."

I cross my arms,"Was it really necessary to keep this information from Sherlock for all these years?"

Mycroft sighs,"It has been a sad memory that we have all had to carry with us for years. We saw no need to for Sherlock to share it. Our parents decided it was best to try and forget because the thought of her was too painful. This was decided shortly after we moved."

"That's right. You moved because your house burned down," I mutter,"I remember Tom telling me this shortly after I met him."

Mycroft nods,"A fire erupted one night and engulfed the entire house. Luckily we had been out of town visiting Thomas at his college when the fire occurred. It was a blessing of sorts. That house had too many bad memories. Once we moved things became better... that is until Thomas 'died'. Our parents were never the same after that."

We all sit in silence for about a minute. Taking in all that Mycroft has told us.

I can tell that he is being truthful, and that is disconcerting. If it wasn't their sister, then who was it?

A text tone breaks the silence.

John looks down at his phone and groans,"I forgot. I have to pick up Rosie from Molly's place."

"Oh, I'll go for you," I offer.

He looks surprised,"You will?"

I nod and stand,"You have more information on this fake Eurus, you should talk more with Mycroft about her. Maybe together you can figure out who she is. I need to call Tom anyway."

He smiles softly,"Thank you."

I nod and grab my coat from the couch,"I won't be long." I leave the flat and find a taxi to take me to Molly's.

Once in the cab, I dial Tom's number.

'Hello?'

I let out a relieved breath,"Finally you answer."

'Sorry, I have been busy. The prime minister is disconcertingly needy,' he says,'So how have things been with you? How is Sherlock?'

"He is a lot better. John and him have mostly made up... but there is a new issue now."

'What's going on?' I can hear the concern in his voice.

I look out the window with a sigh,"We know about your sister, Eurus."

He is silent a moment. '...Mycroft told you.'

I nod,"Yes. He told us that she disappeared decades ago, and yet John claims to have seen her. She was posing as his therapist, and as the woman whom Sherlock met and thought was Culverton's daughter. All things that make her seem very much a Holmes. So my question is, who is she?"

'T-That is impossible. Eurus-'

"Supposedly died, I know. Who else could have known about her though? You didn't even tell me and we have known each other for decades."

He sighs,'I am sorry I never told you about her. It was just something that my family agreed to never bring up. Other than my family, no one else should know about her... other than Eurus herself.'

I frown,"You think it could actually be her?"

'It's possible, yes. Eurus was an extraordinary child. The fire that claimed our house... I never believed it was an accident. If she was indeed alive, she could have very well started the fire.'

"She was just a little girl. How could she have survived all these years on her own?"

'I don't know. This sounds dangerous. I will call Mycroft and-'

I shake my head,"No, you have a job to do. I think we can handle this." The cab stops in front of Molly's house. "Hey, I got to go. I'll call you later."

He sighs,'Okay. Bye.'

"Bye."

~

3rd person POV:

Back at Baker street:

John leans back in his chair,"So what should we do? This woman knows about your past, and she obviously wants something from you."

Sherlock stands and paces by the fireplace,"We need to find out who she really is. Then we-" he pauses and cocks his head to the side with a frown,"W-what is that?"

"What is what?" Mycroft asks.

"A buzzing sound-"

A loud crash is heard from the kitchen, followed by a loud buzzing.

John and Mycroft jump to their feet as a small drone flies into the room and hovers between the three of them.

Mycroft's face fills with horror when he sees what is atop of the drone. "Keep back! Keep as still as you can!" he hisses at John and his brother.

John was backing away but stills when he says that. "What is it?"

Sherlock stares at the hovering machine. "It's a drone."

"Yeah, I can see that," John snaps. "What's it carrying?"

"It's a DX-707," Mycroft answers,"Usually know as 'the patience grenade'."

The drone lands on the floor and its rotors shut down.

John gulps"Patience?"

The grenade buzzes and a red light on top starts to blink.

"The motion sensor has activated. If any of us move, the grenade will detonate," Mycroft says, not taking his eyes off the bomb.

Sherlock doesn't look too scared, he is a vampire after all. "How powerful?"

"It will certainly destroy this flat and kill anyone in it. Assuming walls of reasonable strength, your neighbours should be safe, but as it's landed on the floor, I am moved to wonder if the café below is open."

"It's Sunday morning, so it's closed," Sherlock answers.

"What about Mrs Hudson?" John questions.

"Vacuuming," Sherlock says, listening to the flat below,"Going by her usual routine, I estimate she has another two minutes left."

John's eyes flick to Sherlock's,"She keeps the vacuum cleaner at the back of the flat."

Mycroft frowns,"So?"

"So, safer there when she's putting it away?"

Mycroft gives him a wide eyed look.

John sighs,"Look, we have to move eventually. We should do it when she's safest."

"I might be able to grab it and maybe disarm it-"

"Don't be daft!" Mycroft hisses at his brother,"You may have supernatural speed, but the trigger response is a second and a half. You would be blown to bits before you could even touch it. These were made to be effective against all threats... even vampires."

Sherlock sends his brother a glare,"Please don't tell me that you had a part in making this device."

"I did not. Must I remind you that I am not the only government official that knows about your kind."

Sherlock looks agitated,"Fine. What do you propose we do?"

John answers before Mycroft can. "When the vacuum stops, we give Mrs.Hudson eight seconds to get to the back of the flat. Then Sherlock, you will pick one of us and get out of the flat as fast as you can. I know you will only be able to carry one of us."

They all look at each other. "Who do I take?" Sherlock questions.

"Take Doctor Watson," Mycroft answers. He rolls his eyes at the look John gives him. "Don't think too much of it. I am closer to the door, so I have a better chance of surviving on my own."

John nods,"Okay then. When Mrs.H is safe we move, Sherlock will grab me; and Mycroft, you take the stairs. Help get Mrs. Hudson out too if you can."

The vacuum sound moves further away. It shouldn't be long before she finishes.

Sherlock suddenly gets a thought. "Sara!"

His brother frowns,"What about her? She is safe with-"

John's eyes widen,"Oh my god. What if she comes back with Rosie?!"

"Calm down," Mycroft urges,"She left not to long ago. I'm sure it will be some time before she returns since she cannot use her vampiric speed with Rosie."

Sherlock gulps, eyeing the door worriedly. If she does come back early, he hopes he will be able to warn her before she comes into the building.

The vacuum cleaner shuts down. Sherlock gives it a few seconds, then glances to John and then to Mycroft. "Good luck, boys." He pauses for another moment, then starts to count. "Three, two, one, go!"

The three men turn and race for their exit points. Mycroft heads for the door as quickly as he can, and Sherlock speeds to John then jumps out of the window with him. Behind them the device explodes and flames sweep across the room in all directions, enveloping everything in their path.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter :) Hope you liked it. And yes, I am changing the events of the last episode. I thought I would make it a little more interesting since most of you have seen the last episode and know what is going to happen already.


	65. Information

Chapter 65:

Sara's POV:

"So what now?" I question.

Sherlock, John, Mycroft, Tom, and I are currently in Mycroft's secret office planning what to do next.

Mycroft leans forward in his chair and slides a piece of paper across his desk to us. "This was found in your flat after the bomb went off. It was put there by someone after the fire was put out."

I grab the paper and look it over. It is a flyer for a mental hospital. I frown and look at Mycroft,"You think this is from her?"

"It must be!" Sherlock says as he paces the small room. He has been on edge ever since the bomb. Luckily he was able to get John out safely, and Mycroft obviously made it as well but he sustained a few minor injuries while getting Mrs.Hudson out.

When I returned to Baker street with Rosie, I was horrified to see the state of our beloved flat. I was just thankful that the boys and Mrs.H were all okay. So now we are in Mycroft's secret office, the only safe place for us at the moment. Tom arrived just a few minutes ago. After he heard about what happened to 221b he came straight away.

Tom grabs the flyer from me and looks it over,"She wants us to find her," he concludes,"She was trying to get our attention."

"By almost killing us?!" John growls.

"Yes. She knew that would make me come back to England. I think she wants to confront all of us together."

"So we are just going to play into her game?" John questions.

I purse my lips and take back the flyer,"I think it would be smart to contact this 'West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum' place. If they have any information on her we can use it to our advantage, find out who she really is, find out what she wants from us- well what she wants from you three."

Mycroft nods,"I had the same thought. I already have Athena researching the facility for me."

On that note, a knock at the door is heard.

Mycroft smiles knowingly,"Come in."

Athena walks in and hands him a file. "Here you are sir."

"Thank you, Athena. Impeccable timing."

She leaves and Mycroft looks over the file she brought.

"So it would seem that there is a patient that matches the description John gave," Mycroft tells us,"Her name is Amelia Williams. She has been at the asylum for the last twenty years."

John frowns,"Is there a picture?"

Mycroft hands him a photo of the woman. John narrows his eyes,"This is her. How did she get out then?"

Mycroft shakes his head,"No idea. I think we should give her a visit." He picks up his phone,"I will have Athena clear the rest of my schedule and set up a ride for us."

Tom takes the photo from John and studies it with a frown. "...She does resemble us."

"Don't jump to conclusions," Sherlock scoffs, still pacing the room. "The possibility of her having survived on her own for all these years is improbable."

John crosses his arms,"How was she able to hide under our noses so easily then? That seemed very Holmes-like to me."

A thought suddenly comes to me. "Hey, do you think she knows about vampires? She did send in a bomb that can kill our kind."

"She hasn't made it known yet," Mycroft responds. "If she has in fact been watching us for an amount of time, then it is safe to say that she must." He glances toward Sherlock,"You aren't the most discreet, brother mine."

Sherlock pauses his pacing to send him a glare then continues.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Tom says calmly,"Before we speculate too much, we should just find as much information on her as we can."

I nod,"You are right."

A knock on the door and Athena enters. "Your car is ready, sir."

~

We are now in a car on our way to lunatic asylum. Tom is driving and Mycroft is in the passenger seat, while Sherlock, John, and I are squeezed into the back.

"What's the plan?" Tom inquires.

"You, Sara, and I will talk to the head of the asylum, while John and Sherlock sneak in to see Amelia," Mycroft says,"Athena has informed me that Amelia is held in a secure ward where no visitors are allowed."

"Why can't we all talk to the head guy?" John questions,"We need to know her information too."

"Tom, Sara, and I have government badges. They won't talk to you about someone like Amelia without one," Mycroft explains,"And the risk for all of us to sneak into her cell is preposterous. You two will find her and we will talk to the head. We will keep you in the loop with these earpieces," he reaches behind and hands each of us a pair of small earbuds. "After we get our information we will meet back at a set place."

John nods,"Alright."

"Oh, Doctor Watson?"

"Yes?"

Mycroft glances back at him,"Please keep my brother in check. We don't want him pissing off our 'sister'."

Sherlock glares at him.

John chuckles,"Will do."

 

After an hour in the car, which surprisingly wasn't so bad, we arrive at the asylum.

Sherlock and John stay in the car while the rest of us enter the building. Hopefully we can get the general location of Amelia to make Sherlock and John's job easier. Normally Sherlock would be able to follow her scent, but the only times he met her was when he was high as a kite and powerless.

The building is old but well kept. The inside very open and clean. There is a guard by a door that must lead to the patients, and in front of him is a woman sitting at a desk.

"May I help you?" The woman asks as Tom, Mycroft, and I walk in.

Tom flashes his government badge once we are in front of her. "We need to see the proprietor of this facility."

The woman eyes the badge then looks at us suspiciously. Mycroft and I also show our badges. She glances back at the guard but he just shrugs, so the woman turns back to us with a fake smile,"Let me tell him that you are here." She picks up her phone and calls her boss. After a short moment she puts the phone down and smiles up at us once more,"He will see you now. Jeff will guide you to his office."

Tom gives her one of his breathtaking smiles then follows the guard, Jeff, through the door he had been in front of.

Following Jeff through the building, we finally see some of the patients through a window into their common room. They are much like I had expected. Dressed in similar white clothing, they are playing bored games while others stare off into space and drool. Nurses and guards tend to the patients and watch over them, making sure they do not get violent with each other.

"This way," Jeff says and turns a corner.

He leads us to a closed door and gives it a knock.

"Enter," A man says from within.

We walk into the average sized office and find a middle-aged man sitting at a desk in the center of the room. He smiles warmly and stands to shake our hands. "My name is Ash Wilkerson, I am the head of this facility. Now, how may I be of service?"

Mycroft flashes his badge,"I am detective Martin Smith, these are my partners: Thomas Sharpe, and Tera Evers. We have come for information on a patient of yours."

Mr. Wilkerson sits down and clasps his hands together,"Am I allowed to know the reason as to why you are inquiring? Any business of my patients is my business."

I step forward. "We have recently reopened a case involving Amelia Williams. I am sorry, but that is all we can tell you," I give him a strained smile,"Legal matters, I am sure you understand."

He stills upon hearing her name. After a moment he clears his throat,"I understand. Amelia has been... one of our most troubled patients."

Mycroft and I sit in the chairs in front of his desk while Tom remains standing by the door.

"Can you tell us why she was admitted?" Mycroft questions,"This is for security purposes and to fill in any information we may have missed."

Mr. Wilkerson nods,"Of course." He reaches down and opens a desk drawer, then pulls out a file. "This is the file we have on her, but I know her story quite well since it is a short one." He hands me the file then goes into the story of her arrival. "Amelia arrived almost twenty years ago. She was only 14 at the time, but she was no average teenage girl." He stares off as he recalls the past,"I had just started working here at the time, a guard in training. Her admittance was a shock to all of us. You see, we had never had a patient so young and we haven't since. She was involved with the murders of two college students; the court almost found her guilty but she pleaded insanity and ended up here."

I look up from her file and frown,"Shouldn't she have been sent to a juvenile detention center since she was under 18?"

"She was for a short time actually, but after a month the doctors there refused to treat her any longer. She... unnerved them." Mr. Wilkerson looks at his hands,"She was a strange girl, but never struck me as insane. She was very smart actually, but her tendencies were psychopathic. She has a way of getting into people minds, which is why we keep her in such a secure cell."

"Will we have the chance to talk to her?" Mycroft questions.

Mr. Wilkerson shakes his head,"She is in a restricted area. I am sorry detective, but for your safety you will not be allowed to see her."

"You cannot keep us from questioning her," Tom states,"She is part of an investigation-"

"Then I will need a court order," Mr. Wilkerson smirks cheekily,"I have every right to refuse you without one."

While Tom glowers at him, I speak up. "This file only has information around the time she was admitted. What about her early life? I assume you do background checks on all your patients."

Mr. Wilkerson clears his throat,"We do, but for Amelia we found nothing."

Mycroft leans forward,"What do you mean, by nothing?"

"We couldn't find any information on her before her crime," Mr. Wilkerson shrugs,"We assume that Amelia is not her birth name, but we haven't been able to confirm this."

My eyes widen a fraction and I slide my gaze toward Mycroft and Tom. They both look tense.

'Find out where she is located?' Sherlock demands through my ear piece. I can hear the edge in his voice. He is shaken up by the news as well.

I set the file back on the desk and cross my arms. "You say she is dangerous. How secure is her cell?" I question,"If we cannot talk to her, I would like to know what measures you are taking in keeping her in there."

"We have her confined to her own ward under the facility. There are five armed guards outside her cell at all times, and we have full surveillance of the area. She won't be getting out anytime soon," Mr. Wilkerson assures us.

Then how did she turn up as John's therapist?


	66. This doesn't feel right

Chapter 66:

Sherlock's POV:

I pull out my ear piece then open my car door and step out.

"Hey! Sherlock, get back in here!" John hisses at me.

"We are wasting time. I need to see her."

John gets out of the car with a huff. He stands before me and crosses his arms,"Well, what do you propose we do? You heard the man, they have full surveillance and guards surrounding her."

I start walking toward the building,"I have a plan."

"You do not!" He says rushing after me.

A smile pulls at my lips,"Nope."

I lead us around the side of the asylum and stop to look around to see if anyone can see us.

John looks at me questioningly,"What now- Ah!"

I quickly grab him and scale the wall. We arrive on the roof within seconds and I release John.

He stumbles a few feet away and drops to his knees with a groan. "...I hate when you-" he gags a little,"...do that." He closes his eyes and breathes deeply.

I chuckle,"Feeling sick?"

"Shut it."

Vampiric speed often makes humans feel ill. Their bodies are not used to the amount of g-force pressed upon them.

I walk to the door that leads down into the asylum and listen for movement in the stairwell. John finally joins me, still looking a bit dizzy.

"Ready?" I ask him.

He nods,"Just about. Lead the way."

I nod and open the door. We quietly make our way down the stairs until we reach other door. I can hear someone walking outside, and further away I hear over a dozen voices. The common room must be nearby.

"What now?" John whispers.

I open the door a crack and peak out. "Time for a disguise."

Seeing only two cameras at the end of the hall, I close the door and wait. Hearing footsteps nearing our location, I wait another moment before quickly opening the door and grabbing an unsuspecting guard as he walks by.

"Jesus!" John gasps as I yank the man through the door.

I knock the man unconscious then gently lower him to the ground before I start stripping him of his white uniform.

"What in gods name-"

"Do you have a better idea?" I question John.

He sighs,"No."

I stand,"Then finish getting his clothes off while I grab another one."

He nods and kneels down, meanwhile I stand by the door listening for my next victim.

Ten minutes later, John and I are both dressed in guard uniforms and moving through the halls of the asylum.

We left the two men unconscious on the roof, their arms and legs tied with a couple zip-ties I brought.

I pull my hat down to cover my face a bit more as we past the common room filled with patients.

"Where to now?" John whispers, pulling nervously at his shirt. His outfit is a bit big on him, we had too cuff the pants so they wouldn't drag by his feet.

"There are stairs around the corner," I murmur,"They might lead down into the restricted area."

"What then? What about..." John goes silent as we pass another guard.

I bow my head and give him a slight nod as we pass. He returns the nod and continues on his way.

John releases the breath he was holding and glances at me,"What about the guards and cameras downstairs? They will know we don't belong there, and I doubt there will be any blind spots to knock out people in."

I gulp,"I haven't thought that far yet." We round the corner and find that there is indeed a staircase leading down.

"What?!" John hisses,"What do we do?"

I shrug,"Improvise."

We walk down the stairs then down a quiet, empty, corridor. We eventually come to a door that says 'restricted' on it. Upon entering, I hear the faint sound of a violin. I frown and pause,"I-I hear music."

John looks at me,"Music?"

"Yes. A violin." I cock my head and hear that the music has stopped. "Strange. It's gone now."

John frowns then starts walking again,"Best to keep going then. This place gives me the creeps."

We continue down another deserted hall.

So far no guards. From what Wilkerson said, this place should be crawling with them.

"Where to now?" John asks as the hallway splits into two corridors.

I close my eyes and listen for signs of life.

'Thump, Thump. Thump.'

My eyes snap open and I point to the right,"There is someone down there. ...I-I don't hear anyone else though."

John frowns,"Where are all the guards?" He looks up,"And the cameras?"

I shake my head,"I don't know. This doesn't feel right."

Too late to turn back now. I lead the way down the hall until we reach a cell door. "This must be her." Before opening the door, I glance to John. "What are Sara, and my brothers doing?"

John puts his hand to his ear to listen from his earpiece,"Uh, still with Wilkerson. They are still talking about safety protocol and such."

I nod and grab the door handle, but pause when the violin music starts again. It's coming from within this room.

John and I share a look before we open the door and enter.

Inside is a large room, divided in half by wall of metal bars. And on the other side of the bars, is a woman playing the violin. She has her back to us, her dark long hair flowing behind her.

I scan the room for guards and cameras, but again there are none.

John and I stand side by side silently, waiting for her to finish.

She finally finishes her tune and lowers her bow but doesn't turn around. "Did you bring it?" She questions.

I frown,"I'm sorry?"

"My hairband. Did you bring it like I asked?"

I glance at John then back to her,"I'm not one of the... I-I don't work here."

She sighs exasperated,"The one I made you steal, from Mummy." She turns to face us,"It was the last thing I said to you."

I gulp as a faint memory tugs at the back of my mind, too vague to fully remember... but that does sound familiar.

I narrow my eyes at her,"Who are you?"

She frowns,"You know who I am."

I shake my head,"No, I don't. You claim to be my sister, but she supposedly went missing decades ago, most likely dead."

John takes a step forward,"The people here claim you to be Amelia Williams."

The woman rolls her eyes,"An alias, obviously."

"Then what happened to you during the last twenty-eight years?" I demand.

She sighs heavily, like my question is such a burden. "Well, after I set fire to our home, I went on my own for some time until an elderly woman took me in. She was nice... made it easy to manipulate her." She looks at her violin,"You play, don't you?"

"How did you know?" I question.

She smirks,"I taught you, don't you remember?"

"I don't remember you at all."

She taps the violin's bow on her head,"Interesting. I heard that Mycroft rewrote your memories; but I didn't know that you'd written me out completely."

I grit my teeth, becoming fed up with her stalling,"What do you mean, 'rewritten'?"

A dark smile grows on her lips,"You still don't know about Redbeard, do you?"

I clench my hands into fists.

"After the woman took you in, then what?" John questions, bringing her back to the story of her past.

She narrows her eyes slightly at John then walks to her small bed and drops her violin upon it. "I knew I wouldn't survive on my own, so I used the old woman as long as I could. I even went through school, exceeding my peers by years. Attended university at the age of fourteen. All of this was done under another alias of course."

John frowns,"How could you go for so long with a fake identity?"

She turns to us with a smile,"I can be quite... persuasive." She walks forward a few feet,"I was then admitted here after performing a couple-" she lifts her hands and does air quotes,"'Inhumane' experiments on some fellow university students." She shrugs,"So I stayed here for the last twenty years. As you know I could have left at any moment I felt like it, but this place became a... home of sorts." She looks around the room,"A place to return to."

Everything she has said... fits. I-I still find it hard to believe that she could actually be my sister... but I think she is. I can feel it.

"Why make yourself known now?" John questions.

Eurus shrugs,"I was bored. Over the years I kept tabs on Sherlock, Mycroft, and Tom, but I never felt the need to interact with any of you. Actually, you should be thanking me for doing all of this." She glances at John,"Him with his happy wife and baby," She looks to me,"You with Sara. It was only a matter of time before you all settled down and became... normal. I jumped in and gave your lives some excitement."

"I almost died!" I growl and take a step forward.

"But you and John made up in the end," she points out,"That wouldn't have happened if I didn't set you upon Culverton. You would have done it without my intervening anyway."

"I-"

"Shh. Shut up," John demands. He has his hand on his ear, listening to his earpiece.

I frown and listen in.

'W-What are you talking about?' Mycroft stutters.

'We should be going,' Sara says, her tone suspicious. 'We are needed back at the office-'

'You won't be going anywhere,' Wilkerson states. A moment later I hear coughing coming from Sara and what sounds like Tom.

'What is this?!' Mycroft questions, I can hear the panic in his voice.

'Not to worry. Just some sleepy gas for them.'

My eyes widen and I stride toward Eurus,"What is going on?!" I demand.

She smirks at me,"Just having some fun."

I turn and grab John's arm,"Let's go." I pull him toward the door but before I can open it, the door burst open and a guard sprays some sort of gas in my face.

I stumble back, feeling my eyes water and my throat burn. I cough violently and fall to my knees, feeling my strength leaving me quickly.

"Hey! Back off!" I hear John shout. I look up and see him struggling against two guards before I fall unconscious.


	67. Trials

Chapter 67:

Sherlock's POV:

I blink my eyes open a few times and let out a groan. My head is pounding and my throat feels like a desert.

I cough a bit and slowly rise up to my feet. I am in a large room with white walls, there are bright lights over head, and a tv screen on one of the walls. There is also no door that can be seen.

"Finally awake I see."

I turn around and find Mycroft sitting on the ground with his back against the wall. John and Tom are lying nearby on the floor, still unconscious. Across from them is a man I don't recognize.

"Who is he?" I question as I walk to John and Tom.

"Ash Wilkerson, the head of the asylum," Mycroft answers.

"Why is he here?"

"He does as he is told. Eurus is in control."

I kneel next to John and my older brother. I try to rouse them but nothing seems to be working. "What happened? Where are we?"

"Well, we were all knocked unconscious and brought here," Mycroft says and loosens his tie,"As for if we are still in the asylum, I don't not know, but I assume we are. My watch says we have only been asleep for about thirty minutes."

I stand and scan the room, then feel my heart drop. "W-Where is Sara?" I question.

Mycroft looks down,"She wasn't in here when I awoke."

I clench my hands into fists and start pacing. This was all trap, and we stupidly walked right into it. What will she do with us now? No, it doesn't matter. What matters is that Sara is all right... wherever she is.

Tom wakes next.

"...W-What happened?" He looks around,"Where's Sara?"

"I don't know," I grunt.

Tom stands and looks around the room,"We have to get out of here."

I smile sarcastically,"By all means, try."

He sends me a glare before walking to one of the walls. He places his hands on it then kicks the wall. A moment later he curses. "Damn!" He hisses and turn back around,"The walls are at least three meters thick. We can't bust them down."

"Oh, did your vampire senses tell you this?" I snark. I tend to get cheeky when in situations such as these, especially when I'm stuck in a room with my brothers.

Tom crosses his arms,"At least I am using my powers. Do you forget that you are a vampire? I think you do sometimes-"

"Brothers!" Mycroft barks,"Fighting won't help our situation. We need to calm down and think logically."

I huff and continue to pace while Tom wanders around the room for a means of escape.

"Did you see our sister?" Mycroft asks.

I nod,"We did."

"Any new developments from that?"

"Other than the fact that she is a bored psychopath... nope."

I hear a groan from behind me. John is waking up.

"How are you?" I ask him.

He sits up slowly and rubs his head,"Bit of a lump. But, I think I'm okay."

The tv on the wall suddenly turns on. We gather around it and after a moment the screen flickers and an image of Eurus appears on the screen.

'Oh good, everyone is awake now.'

"Why are we here, Eurus?" Mycroft demands.

She smirks,'Just having some fun, dear brother. I've wanted to have a family reunion for some time now. Too bad Mummy and Daddy aren't here though. ...Maybe I will give them a visit.'

"Enough!" I bark,"Where is Sara?"

Euros sits back in her chair with a large smile,'Let's play a game.'

I grit my teeth, wishing so much I could rip that smile off her face.

She moves to the side a little, behind her is a woman sitting on a chair with hand cuffs and duct tape across her mouth.

At first glance I think it is Sara, and I feel a rush of panic run through me. But upon closer look, I see that the woman is not her.

"That's my wife."

I turn to my left and see Mr.Wilkerson staring at the screen with a horrified expression. "Oh, God, that's my wife!"

'I'm going to shoot his wife,' Eurus says simply.

Mycroft turns away, putting his hand up to his mouth. Tom and John look disgusted as well.

"Please, no!" The man pleads.

'You can stop me,' Eurus continues,'But for a price.'

"How?" I question.

'There's a gun in a fake panel of the wall. Take it.'

I scan the walls more closely this time, looking for any small cracks.

"Found it," Tom says and strides over to the wall behind me. He punches one of the white, panels, and it shatters under his strength. A small hole is left, which a handgun lies within. He grabs it and walks back over in front of the tv.

'You want to save his wife?' Our sister questions,'Choose either Doctor Watson or Mycroft to kill Mr. Wilkerson.'

I gulp and share a look with Tom. 

"Oh ... oh God." Wilkerson gasps.

'You can't do it, Thomas,' Eurus adds,'Nor can Sherlock. If either of you do it, it won't count. I'll kill her anyway. It has to be your brother or your friend.'

"Why not us?" Tom snarls.

She smirks,'Because you two have killed before. You are used to it, so it wouldn't be fun.'

Wilkerson turns to look at Mycroft. "You have to do this. Eurus will kill her."

Tom looks down for a long moment, then walks to Mycroft and holds out the gun to him. "Doesn't appear we have a choice."

Mycroft looks at him with wide eyes and shakes his head,"I-I can't do this." He gulps,"It's murder."

"This is not murder," Wilkerson says,"This is saving my wife."

Mycroft looks across to him nervously, then shakes his head again,"I will not kill. I will not have blood on my hands."

Eurus nods,'Yes, very good.' She raises a gun of her own and glances at the woman behind her.

"Killing my wife is what you're doing!" Wilkerson shouts frantically at Mycroft.

Mycroft's whole body is trembling. He may order people to their death, but he has never taken a life by his own hand. He isn't cut out for this.

"Okay, fine," I say and walk to Tom. I grab the gun from him, then turn to John and offer the pistol.

He stares at the gun then glances at Wilkerson.

"Please save my wife," The man pleads.

John gulps then slowly reaches out and takes the gun from me.

I step back and run my hands through my hair. This entire situation is fucked up! Eurus is using us for her own sick enjoyment, and Sara is god knows where.

"I can't."

I look over and see John lowering the gun. He shakes his head and turns to me,"I'm sorry. I can't do it."

Weeping in anguish, Wilkerson falls to his knees.

I sigh,"It's okay-"

Before anyone of us can act, Wilkerson scrambles to his feet and runs to John, snatching the pistol from his hand and raises it to his head with shaking hands.

"Stop!" John shouts.

"Remember me," The man whispers with tears running down his cheeks.

My eyes widen,"No!"

He then pulls the trigger.

Mycroft turns away gagging at the sight of all the blood. The rest of us look away from the unsettling scene.

'Interesting,' Eurus hums.

I turn to her. "All right, there you go. You got what you wanted."

'He really wasn't very interesting,' she comments,'But you four... you four were wonderful. Thank you.' She smirks,'You see what you did, Doctor Watson? All because you don't want blood on your hands, now two people are dead instead of one.'

John gulps,"Two people?"

"Yes. Sorry, hang on." She rotates the chair toward the handcuffed woman behind her, raises her pistol, and shoots.

John raises both hands to his head and backs away in frustration. Mycroft gasps and also turns away.

'What advantage did your moral code grant you?' Eurus questions.

"Stop it!" Tom hisses, he glares at the screen with animosity I didn't know he owned. "Stop this now."

Eurus smirks at him,'This is an experiment. There will be consequences.' She turns her gaze on me,'Sherlock, pick up the gun. You're going to need it.'

I turn to look at the pistol on the floor, lying near a large pool of blood.

'When I tell you to use it – and I will – remember what happened this time.'

I gulp, then walk to the dead body of Ash Wilkerson and grab the gun near him.

A large wall panel then slides to one side, revealing a narrow passageway.

'Please, go through,' Eurus urges,'There's a few tasks for you. If you want to see your sweet Sara, then you need to follow my instructions.'

I grip the gun tightly, wishing I could shoot her.

Tom walks over and puts his hand on my shoulder,"Come on."

We walk through the passageway and down a long hall. We eventually reach another room.

This room is smaller than the one before. There is a single table in the center with in an envelope on it. Behind the table is a window.

I stride toward the window and place my hands on it.

'Oh I wouldn't bother,' Eurus voice comes from the speakers. I turn around and see her appear on another screen. 'The glass is bulletproof, which might as well be vampire proof.'

I turn back to the window and look out. All that can be seen is water, and below there are rocks which the waves crash against.

'As a motivator to your continued co-operation,' Eurus smirks,'Your lovely, little, girlfriend.' The screen switches and a woman in a chair appears. Unlike Wilkerson's wife, this woman is chained to her chair. She is just waking up it seems.

I am at first wary of this being a trick, some sort of stand in pretending to be Sara. She opens her eyes and looks around with a confused expression, her voice mumbled by a gag in-between her jaws. She pulls at her chains, growing angry. I then know it is her when her eyes turn blood red and she struggles relentlessly without fear.

The screen changes back to Eurus. 'Those are Darkwood chains. She won't be getting out anytime soon, but I assure you that she is safe, as long as you follow my instructions.'

I grind my teeth together and nod,"I understand."

'Good. Time to play a new game.'

Of course.

"Look on the table in front of you," She tells us,"Open the envelope."

Putting the pistol on the table, I pick up the envelope.

"This is inhuman; this is insane!" Mycroft whines.

"Mycroft, we know," John says with frustration.

I open the envelope and pull out three photos. They are of three different men, unknown that they were being photographed. Each are labeled with a name: NATHAN, ALEX, AND HOWARD.

'Six months ago, a man called Evans was murdered; unsolved except by me. He was shot from a distance of three hundred metres with this rifle.'

A light above me turn on. I glance up and see a rifle attached to the low hanging ceiling above me. I stretch up and grab the gun.

Eurus continues,'Now, if the police had any brains they'd realise there are three suspects, all brothers. Nathan Garrideb, Alex Garrideb and Howard Garrideb. All these photos are up-to-date, but which one pulled the trigger? Which one?'

John frowns and looks up at Eurus,"What's this? W-we're supposed to solve this based on what?"

"This. This is all we get," I murmur, studying the photos before me. Tom joins me in looking over the photos and grabs the rifle from me.

Tom turns to Mycroft and holds out the rifle,"What do you make of it?"

Mycroft raise an eyebrow,"Am I being asked to prove my usefulness?"

I look at him,"Yes, I should think you are."

"I will not be manipulated like this," he growls.

"Will you condemn Sara to death then?" I question.

He lowers his gaze. I scoff,"Fine." I take the rifle from Tom, then turn to John. "John?"

John takes the gun and looks it over,"Yeah, I think I've seen one of these. It's a buffalo gun. I'd say nineteen forties, old-fashioned sight, no crosshairs."

Glasses!

I turn back to the photos, searching.

Tom has the same idea. He points to the photo on the left. "Nathan wears glasses."

I shake my head,"Evans was shot from three hundred meters. Kickback from a gun with this calibre ... would be massive." I scan the photos closely. "No cuts, no scarring. Not Nathan, then." I turn his photo over.

"Well done, Doctor Watson," Mycroft sarcastically applauds,"How useful you are. Do you have a suspicion we're being made to compete?"

John narrows his eyes at him and sets the gun on the table. "No, we're not competing. Sara is strapped to a chair, totally defenseless, and we are the only ones that can save her. She has saved each of us one time or another, we need to try and do the same for her. We owe her that much."

I look up briefly to my friend, feeling pride swell within me.

"Mycroft, for once in your life, just shut up," Tom says in exasperation. "If you are not going to help, go stand in the corner or something."

Mycroft glares at our brother, he goes to argue but Eurus intervenes.

'How about a little tension? Your petty arguing is getting annoying.'

There's a noise from behind us. We turn, and outside the window three men drop into view, each suspended from a rope attached to a harness. Their hands are bound in front of them with rope and white scarves are tied around their mouths. Each man has a large card with their name on it hung around their necks with string. These are the Garridebs brothers.

Mycroft gasps,"Oh, dear God."

'Once you bring in your verdict, let me know and justice will be done,' Eurus tells us,'Oh, and Tom? You will be the one to decide.'

Tom gulps,"W-why me? What will you do with them?"

She smirks,'This is your trial, Thomas. As for them... early release.'

I glance out the window,"You'll drop them into the sea."

"They're tied up!" John says angrily, glaring at my sister.

'Exactly! Now there is context. Please, continue with your deductions. I'm now focussing on the difference to your mental capacity a specified consequence can make.'

"Why should we bother?" Mycroft argues once again,"Sara is strong. I am surprised she hasn't escaped you yet. Maybe she did. I think you are bluffing, you won't hurt her."

"Mycroft!" Tom and I warn in unison.

Eurus's smile grows,'Oh, I am bluffing am I?'

The screen changes back to the live feed of Sara. She is still strapped to a chair, struggling at her restraints. After a moment, I see a large bucket above her being lowered down slowly until it stops a few feet above her.

Euros's voice comes from the speakers. 'This bucket is filled with a liquified version of Darkwood, complements of Charles Magnussen. In five minutes time, this bucket will tip over and drench your lovely little girlfriend. So if I were you, I would make a decision quickly.'

My eyes widen in horror.

On the screen, the bucket sways unnervingly above her. A drop of liquid falls from the bucket, and lands on Sara's arm. She immediately cries out in pain through her gag.

Tom grips my arm to pull my attention away from the screen. "We need to work fast. Help me with this."

I gulp and nod. I turn to the men still dangling outside the window. "It's got to be one of the other two." I focus on the man in the middle,"Howard's a lifelong drunk. Pallor of his skin, terminal gin blossoms on his red nose and – terror notwithstanding – a bad case of the DTs."

Tom nods,"There's no way he could have taken that shot from three hundred meters away. So that leaves us with Alex."

I study the last man,"Indentations on the temples suggest he habitually wears glasses. Frown lines suggest a lifetime of peering."

"He's shortsighted, or he was," Tom adds,"His recent laser surgery has done the trick."

I glance at him,"Laser surgery?"

Mycroft clears his throat from behind us,"Look at his clothes. He's made an effort. Suddenly he sees himself in quite a different light now that he's rid himself of the glasses."

"Even has a spray tan. But he's clearly not used to his new personal grooming ritual," Tom notes.

I zero in on the man's dirty fingernails. "That can be told by the state of his fingernails and the fact that there's hair growing in his ears. So it's a superficial job, then."

"But he got his eyes fixed. His hands were steady. He pulled the trigger," Tom says firmly. He points at Alex,"He killed Evans."

'Are you ready to condemn the prisoner?' Our sister asks.

"Tom, we can't do this," Mycroft murmurs.

Tom gazes at the man, biting his lip. I can see that this is hard for him. Tom has killed before, but this different. This is condemning a man who has no way of defending himself. Using only the barest of details to determine his fate.

Tom gulps,"T-This is for Sara. I won't let Eurus hurt her." He turns to the tv screen that shows our sister and says firmly,"I condemn Alex Garrideb."

Instantly the ropes holding the other two men release and they plunge downwards out of sight. My eyes widen and I hear Mycroft gasp from beside me. I slowly look to Tom, and find him covering his mouth with shaking hands as he stares out the window with horrified eyes.

'Congratulations!' Euros cheers,'You got the right one.'

I blink and look toward the tv. It shows the bucket being lifted away from Sara. She is safe... for now.

Another passageway then opens up in the wall.

'Now, go through the door.'

"You dropped the other two. Why?" John demands.

Eurus cocks her head to the side,'Does it really make a difference, killing the innocent instead of the guilty?' She looks down thoughtfully. 'Let's see.'

Alex's rope then releases and he plunges downwards.

My sister shrugs,'No. That felt pretty much the same.'

"Tom," I call softly.

He slowly turns his gaze on me. He looks exhausted, Eurus is getting to him, breaking him down. "Don't let her distract you."

He gulps and nods. I grab the pistol from the table, we then file through the passage to the next room of horrors.


	68. Make your choice

Chapter 68:

Sherlock's POV:

I enter a new room with the others right behind me. This room is even smaller than the last. No windows, one of the walls is a large screen, and there is a small, wooden, coffin on a stand in the middle of the room. The coffin has no lid and is empty.

Eurus's voice appears over the speakers. 'Coffin. Problem: someone is about to die. It will be – as I understand it – a tragedy.'

I walk around the coffin, looking it over. "I presume, this will be their coffin."

'Whose coffin, Sherlock?' She teases,'This is your trial. Please, start your deductions. I will apply some context in a moment.'

I grip my handgun tighter and let out a long breath. "It's small. I'd say this coffin is intended for someone of about five foot four. Makes it more likely to be a woman."

"Not a child?" John asks.

"A child's coffin would be more expensive," Tom says,"This is in the lower price range. This is a practical and informed choice. Balance of probability suggests that this is for an unmarried woman distant from her close relatives. That much is suggested by the economy of choice."

I nod,"Acquainted with the process of death but unsentimental about the necessity of disposal. Also, the lining of the coffin-"

"Yes, very good," Mycroft interrupts. "Or we could just look at the name on the lid."

I look over and see him with the lid of the coffin that was leaning against the far wall. On the backside of the lid it says 'I LOVE YOU'.

My eyes widen.

Tom gulps,"Sara."

'Not quite,' Eurus cuts in.

I feel my heartbeat settle down a bit.

Mycroft frowns,"Who then? There aren't many who love Sherlock."

John's eyes widen a little. "Molly."

Of course.

"Molly Hooper."

'She's perfectly safe, for the moment,' Eurus tell us. The screen then shows camera footage of the interior of a home. Molly stands in her kitchen, preparing a meal for herself. In the top right-hand corner a countdown clock appears, currently fixed at 3 minutes. 'Her flat is rigged to explode in approximately three minutes... unless I hear the release code from her lips. I'm calling her on your phone, Sherlock. Make her say it.'

I slowly walk toward the screen, feeling dread filling my veins.

John looks confused,"Say what?"

I close my eyes and lower my head.

'Obvious, surely?' My sister comments. 'Oh, one important restriction: you're not allowed to mention in any way at all that her life is in danger. If you do, I will end this session and her life. Are we clear?'

I nod and open my eyes.

The sound of a phone ringing is heard. On the screen, Molly sees her phone lighting up from a call... but she ignores it and continues chopping vegetables.

I frown,"What's she doing?"

"She's making stew of some kind,' Mycroft smartly answers.

I grit my teeth,"Yes, but why isn't she answering her phone?"

"You never answer your phone," John notes.

I sigh frustratedly,"Yes, but it's me calling."

The call ends and goes to Molly's voicemail.

Eurus giggles,'Okay, okay. Just one more time. Oh, and how about we let Sara join the party?'

My eyes widen,"No."

'I'm sure she is going to love this.'

The footage of Molly is shrunk a little, and the live feed of Sara fills the other side of the screen. She is still restrained, but she looks unharmed.

'Sara, dear?' Eurus calls.

My girlfriend looks around for the voice.

'Good, you can hear me. Since you cannot speak at the moment, all you need to do is listen. Listen to my big brother talk to the little mortician.'

Sara looks into the camera, confused and anxious.

I clench my hands into fists. "Eurus, don't make me do this-"

'This is your last chance, Sherlock.'

The phone starts to ring again.

I gulp and watch the screen anxiously. The countdown has still been ticking down as we were talking. It is now at 2:12.

"Come on, Molly, pick up," John mutters under his breath,"Just bloody pick up."

Molly pauses her chopping and looks across to her phone. After a moment, she sighs and sets down the knife then walks to he phone She hesitates as she picks it up, then finally answers.

'Hello, Sherlock. Is this urgent, because I'm not having a good day.'

"Molly, I just want you to do something very easy for me, and not ask why," I quickly tell her, my eyes flitting to the timer.

She sighs in exasperation,'Oh, God. Is this one of your stupid games?'

"No, it's not a game. I... need you to help me."

'Look, I'm not at the lab-'

"It's not about that."

She leans against the counter,'Well, quickly, then. What is it? What do you want?'

I gulp and look at the screen containing Sara, then look back to Molly. "Molly, please, without asking why, just say these words."

She looks intrigued now,'What words?'

"I. love. you. " I tell her clearly.

I see Sara close her eyes, she knows what is happening. It's not true, she knows that, but it won't hurt any less.

Molly's smile drops,'Leave me alone.' She goes to end the call.

My eyes widen,"Molly, no, please, no, don't hang up! Do not hang up!"

The countdown clock ticks down to 1:08. Molly has raised the phone to her ear again.

'Why are you doing this to me?' she questions in a broken voice,'Why are you making fun of me?'

"Please, I swear, you just have to listen to me," I say softly. "Molly, this is for a case. It's... it's a sort of experiment."

'I'm not an experiment, Sherlock.'

I shake my head frantically,"No, I know you're not an experiment. You're my friend. We're friends. But ... please. Just ... say those words for me."

She looks to be in pain,'Please don't do this. Just... just... don't do it.'

I gulp and try to sound more encouraging,"It's very important. I can't say why, but I promise you it is."

She shakes her head,'I can't say that. I can't... I can't say that to you. Just-just have Sara do it.'

"Of course you can. Sara... she can't, not at the moment. Why can't you?"

'You know why.'

I frown, a bit confused,"No, I don't know why." I glance at Sara's screen and see her shaking her head sadly.

Molly sighs heavily, sniffs and wipes a hand across her nose. 'Of course you do.'

The lights in the room suddenly turn red, the countdown getting lower.

"Please, just say it," I urge.

'I can't. Not to you.'

I sigh in frustration,"Why?"

'Because...' her voice breaks,'...Because it's true.'

My eyes widen and my jaw drops a little.

'It's always been true,' Molly weeps.

I glance at Sara and see her with her head bowed. I gulp and squeeze my eyes shut, blocking out my emotions. "Well, if it's true, just say it anyway."

Molly laughs in disbelief,'You... bastard.'

"Say it anyway," I say more firmly.

She gulps,'You say it. Go on. You say it first.'

I open my eyes,"What?"

'Say it. Say it like you mean it,' she demands.

'Final thirty seconds,' Eurus chirps.

Tom walks over, having been quiet this entire time, and gives me a hard look. "Just say it," he hisses quietly,"Don't let her die because you couldn't say three words."

I gulp and turn back to look at Molly,"I-I... I love you." My eyes flit to Sara and I say more firmly,"I love you."

Molly closes her eyes again for a moment and bites her lip.

The countdown reaches 13 seconds.

"Molly, please!" I say frantically.

She then says very softly,'...I love you.'

I let out a huge sigh of relief and bury my head in my hands. I hear the others sigh around me as well.

I lift my head and see that the countdown has stopped 2 seconds. I turn to the camera on the wall. "Eurus, I won. Come on, let's end this."

The screen on the wall changes to show my sister.

"I won," I tell her with a small smile,"I saved Molly Hooper."

She cocks her head to the side,'Saved her? From what? Oh, do be sensible. There were no explosives in her little house. Why would I be so clumsy? You didn't win. You lost.'

My face drops.

'Look what you did to her. Look what you did to yourself and Sara.'

I turn away and grip my hair.

'All those complicated little emotions. I lost count. Emotional context, Sherlock. It destroys you every time.'

Another door slides open.

'Now, please, pull yourself together. I need you at peak efficiency. The next one isn't going to be so easy.'

My face twists in rage. I drop the pistol from my grip and charge toward the coffin. John, Tom, and Mycroft back away as I smash my arm down through the coffin. I destroy the wooden box, letting out my current rage.

The coffin is soon in pieces, but I don't stop there. I move on to pound on the walls, which is when Tom walks over to stop me.

"Lock. Lock, you need to calm down!" He tells me, gripping my arm firmly,"This won't help anything. The longer you take to destroy things, the longer we will be stuck here and Sara as well."

I cover my face and take a few deep breaths. Feeling calmer, I lower my hands and give him a nod. Tom walks over and grabs the pistol from the ground then hands it back to me. I then follow him through the doorway.

We enter another room, no surprise there, but this one is empty. There is only a screen on the wall, which Eurus's face soon appears on.

"Hey, sis, don't mean to complain but this one's empty," I tell her, looking around. "What happened? Did you run out of ideas?"

'It's not empty, Sherlock. You've still got the gun, haven't you? I told you you'd need it, because only three can play the next game. Just three of you go on from here; your choice.' She smiles brightly into the camera. 'It's make-your-mind-up time. Whose help do you need the most – John or Mycroft?'

My eyes widen and I turn to look at my friend and brother.

Tom frowns,"Not that I want to die, but why am I not a part of this?"

Eurus rolls her eyes,'I think we all know that Sherlock would most likely choose to kill you if he had the choice. You only recently came back into his life, you also sold him out to Moriarty, and you are forever a threat for Sara's affection.'

Tom frowns.

'This will be more interesting.'

She is sadistic.

"Eurus, enough!" Mycroft demands.

'Not yet, I think.' She smiles. 'There is still a perfectly good bucket of Darkwood just waiting to be poured on your little vampire.'

"This needs to end!" Mycroft growls,"I refuse to be a part of this. Sara is not worth my life!"

My eyes narrow at my brother.

'Well, the decision is not yours. It is Sherlock's.'

Mycroft turns to me,"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"We're not actually going to discuss this, are we?" He turns his head towards John. "I'm sorry, Doctor Watson. You're a fine man in many respects." He turns back to me,"Make your goodbyes and shoot him."

Tom walks in-between us,"Wait. There must be something else we can do-"

"There's not," Mycroft tells him then looks at me,"Shoot him!"

John looks utterly appalled at my brother's actions. "What?"

Mycroft glances at him for a brief moment and then turns back to me,"Shoot Doctor Watson. There's no question who has to continue from here. It's us; you, me, and Tom. Whatever lies ahead requires brainpower, Sherlock, not sentiment. Don't prolong his agony; shoot him."

"Mycroft!" Tom growls,"Stop it."

"Do I get a say in this?" John questions.

Mycroft turns to him,"Today, we are soldiers. Soldiers die for their country."

John looks down and gulps,"...He's right."

Tom looks at him in shock.

I close my eyes and sigh,"Just stop it already." I look at John,"Ignore everything he just said. He's being kind. He's trying to make it easy for me to kill him." I gulp,"Which is why this is going to be so much harder."

I turn to face Mycroft and raise the gun, pointing it at him.

"Sherlock. Don't." John whispers.

"Listen to him," Tom urges.

Mycroft glances at them,"It's not your decision." He looks back at me,"Not in the face, though, please. I've promised my brain to the Royal Society."

I bite my lip and lower the gun,"I can't. I won't do it."

Eurus frowns,'What are you doing?'

I take a couple steps back,"A moment ago, a brave man asked to be remembered," I take a deep breath. This is a gamble, hopefully she won't see through my bluff. I then raise the pistol to my head.

"Sherlock don't!" Tom shouts.

I start to count down. "Ten."

'No, no, Sherlock.' I see Eurus looking increasingly more worried from the corner of my eye.

"Nine."

"Eight."

'You can't!' My sister shouts. 'What about Sara? You would just leave her like this?'

I squeeze my eyes shut. "Seven."

'You don't know about Redbeard yet.'

I take deep breaths,"Six."

'Sherlock!'

"Five."

'Sherlock, stop that at once!' Eurus shouts in full panic.

I then feel a small prick at the back of my neck. I blink and stumble forward a little. Reaching behind with my free hand, I pull a small dart from my neck.

"Four."

My vision starts to blur,"Three..."

"Two ..." I mutter before falling back. The handgun drops from my grasp, and I fall into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is near! Only a handful of chapters left in this story. I'll be sad to see it end, but I think its been a good run. Over 100,000 words, 60 plus chapters. By far one of my favorite stories to have written :)


	69. Redbeard

My all-time favorite chapter that I have written :) Enjoy.

Chapter 69:

3rd person POV:

Sherlock lets out a groan as he starts to regain consciousness. He opens his eyes and finds himself in a small, dark, room. Tom lays a foot away from him, still unconscious.

"Tom," Sherlock calls out as he slowly sits up, rubbing his eyes. His head is swimming and his body feels weak. 'Must have been injected with Darkwood,' he thinks.

Tom groans and blinks open his eyes,"...What- where are we?" he questions groggily.

Sherlock shakes his head and stands,"I don't know. Do you have your powers?"

Tom sits up slowly, his face contorted in pain,"...No."

Sherlock grunts,"Darkwood. I thought as much."

'...Sherlock?' a voice whispers.

He looks around wildly and shouts,"John!"

'Yeah,' John answers louder.

Sherlock then realizes his voice is coming from an earpiece he hadn't known he was wearing. Tom has one as well. "Where are you?" Sherlock questions his friend.

'I don't know. I've just woken up,' John says,'Where are you?'

"I'm in another room. Tom is with me," he says.

"Is Sara or Mycroft with you?" Tom questions John.

'I have no idea. I can hardly see anything.' He then calls out,'Sara? Mycroft?'

Sherlock runs his hands over his face, looking worried when there's no reply. "Are you okay?" He asks instead.

'Yeah.'

"All right. Well, just keep exploring," Sherlock decides,"Tell me anything you can about where you are."

Tom and Sherlock start to examine the room they are in. It is very small, about the size of a small bedroom. It's empty except for a table and small lantern for light.

'The walls are ... rough. They're rock, I guess,' John tells them as he examines his own surroundings.

"What are you standing on?" Sherlock questions.

'Uh, stone, I think. ...But listen, there's about two feet of water.' He lets out a breathily groan and squeezes his eyes shut,'Chains. Yeah, my feet are chained up.' He takes another breath to calm himself then says,'I can feel something.' John curses softly,'Bones, Sherlock. There are bones in here.'

Sherlock sees something under the table and turns to look at it.

"What kind of bones?" Tom asks as he examines one of the walls. There is no door but there must be some sort of exit.

'Uh, I dunno. S-small.'

Sherlock lifts up a dogbowl and holds it in both hands as he looks at it in shock. Painted on the side of the bowl is one word.

Sherlock gulps and says softly,"Redbeard."

'Sherlock?' John's voice echoes through the earpiece,'I'm in a well. That's where I am; I'm in the bottom of a well.'

Sherlock sets the bowl down on the table and frowns,"Why would there be a well in an asylum?"

"I don't think we are at the asylum anymore," Tom murmurs, staring at something.

Sherlocks walks over to him and sees that he is looking at a gap between the floor and wall.

They glance at each other before raising both hands and pushing against the wall in front of them. The entire wall falls outwards and drops to the ground outside. In front of them is a very familiar burnt house.

Sherlock stares wide eyed at the house before him. "Musgrave Hall."

"We're home," Tom says softly. The burnt house is lit by the light of the moon, they must have been asleep for a few hours at most.

'Oh the sweet, sweet memories,' Comes a new voice from their earpieces.

Sherlock clenches his hands into fists,"Eurus, tell me where Sara is!" He all but growls,"If you've hurt her-"

'She is safe... but not for longgg,' she sings. 'Come, come, one and all. Come see the fairest vampire of them all.' She starts to sing nonsense.

Sherlock stalks toward the house with growing agitation. Tom trains behind him with a concerned look.

"Sherlock, what do we do?" Tom questions his brother.

"Find Sara and John," he answers as he bursts through the old, charred door.

"Not Mycroft?"

"I doubt he is in any immediate danger," Sherlock scoffs,"Eurus has been targeting just you and me for some reason."

Beside the stairs in the hallway is a screen standing on top of a table. Eurus' face appears on it.

'I'm letting the water in now. You don't want me to drown another one of your pets, do you?' She questions.

Sherlock glares at her with growing anxiety.

'Your very first case! And the final problem,' Eurus teases.

'Sherlock?' John calls from the earpiece,'Sherlock, there is water rushing into the well now!'

"Where is he?" Tom demands,"Eurus, this is enough!"

She just smirks and says,'Find, Redbeard.'

Sherlock growls and grips his hair. Tom meanwhile ventures into another room.

"Sherlock?" He calls for his brother.

Sherlock walks into the room his brother disappeared into and gasps when he sees another screen. It shows John in a well that is being filled with water.

"Jesus..." Sherlock runs his hands through his hair. "We're going to find you," He tells John.

'Well, hurry up, please, because I don't have long!'

Sherlock turns to his brother for help.

Tom shakes his head sadly,"I'm sorry, Lock, but Redbeard was your dog. I was at Uni when he went missing. Only you can know where he is. You must know subconsciously or something."

Sherlock grips his head, trying to think. Flashbacks of his childhood threatening to consume him. "I looked everywhere, and I found nothing." he answers.

Eurus chuckles,'A lost memory, hidden from you for decades.'

The two brothers race back into the other room to look at their sister on the screen.

She smirks,'Yet our dear brother, Mycroft, has been mocking you with it for years. Using it to judge your mental state.'

"I don't understand-"

'Sherlock?' John calls.

"Redbeard," Sherlock rack this brain for an answer,"The bowl, the bones ..." his eyes widen in realization,"The well." Sherlock raises both hands to cover his mouth.

'Sherlock?' John calls once again,'There's something you need to know.'

Sherlock lowers his hands, breathing heavily.

'Sherlock? ...The bones I found,' John pauses.

Sherlock gulps,"Yes? They're dogs' bones. That's Redbeard."

'Mycroft's been lying to you; to both of us,' John tells him,'So has Tom.'

Sherlock frowns in confusion and looks at his brother.

Tom lowers his gaze.

'They're not dogs' bones.'

Sherlock feels the air leave his lungs,"...Wh-what?"

'Remember Daddy's allergy?' Eurus questions with a wicked smile on her face,'What was he allergic to? What would he never let you have all those times you begged?'

Sherlock's face pales in realization.

'You were upset. So you told yourself a better story. ... But we never had a dog.'

Sherlock stares off brokenly, his voice shaking slightly,"...Victor."

'Now it's coming,' Eurus murmurs.

The real memories start to bombard his mind. "Victor Trevor. W-we played pirates. I was Yellowbeard and he was ... he was Redbeard."

'You were inseparable. But I wanted to play too.'

"Oh. Oh God..." Sherlock whispers. Tears starting to stream down his face. He gulps,".... You killed him." His face full of anguish. "You killed my best friend." He slowly covers his face with his hands and breaths shakily.

'...S-Sherlock? There is something else,' John gulps.

"What is it, John?" Tom asks softly. His gaze on his brother.

'I found... I found another one. Another body.'

Sherlock lowers his hands,"...What?" He breaths, confused now.

John sighs,'There is another body, a-a child's.'

Sherlock frowns and looks at Eurus,"Who-" He stops, his eyes widening. He feels his heart drop,"...You aren't my sister...are you?"

She giggles, shaking her head,'Nope.'

"You always were the stupid one," a voice echoes from behind him

Sherlock's body goes cold, he feels an overwhelming sense of dread starting to consume him. "...Why are you doing this?" He questions weakly.

"Because you took everything from me."


	70. I hope I'm not too late

Chapter 70:

Sara's POV:

I wake with my head pounding and someone shaking me vigorously.

"Wake up!" Someone hisses.

I blink open my eyes and see Mycroft kneeling above me. "W-what's going on?" I question, I slowly sit up and groan as my head swims. Taking a deep breath, I look around. "Where are the others?"

He stands,"I don't know. Eurus must have taken them somewhere else."

We are in an empty barred cell, still at the asylum I am assuming.

I stand and weakly lean against one of the walls. I feel Darkwood coursing through my veins, repressing my powers and making me feel weak.

"What was she doing with you four while I was chained up?" I question.

Mycroft shakes his head,"She was toying with us, trying to turn us against one another. She- she killed four people."

My eyes widen,"W-What about Molly?"

"She was never in any harm. Eurus used her to toy with Sherlock's emotions. After that she ordered Sherlock to kill either John or I."

I gulp,"What did he do?"

"Well, he didn't shoot us. He instead attempted suicide."

My eyes widen,"What?!"

"Eurus didn't let him go through with it. She shot us with some sort of tranquilizers. That is the last thing I remember."

I calm down a little. "What do we do now?" I question.

Mycroft stands patiently by the locked cell door,"We wait."

I frown,"Wait?"

"Yes. Athena should be here soon."

"How-"

"I am part of the British government. When I am missing, it doesn't go unnoticed. I also gave strict instructions for her to investigate if I didn't contact her within a certain amount of time."

I nod,"When do you think she will-"

I am cut off by the sound of guns being shot in the distance.

Mycroft smirks,"Perfect timing as always."

Moments later and a SWAT team bursts into the room.

"Target found," One of the men says into his walkie before striding to the cell door and opening it with a key.

"Thank you gentlemen," Mycroft says with a smile,"If you would be so kind as to direct me to Athena."

"Of course, Sir."

Mycroft and I are led through the building and outside where Athena awaits next to a car. I note that it is already dark out. We must have been unconscious for some time.

"Sir," She greets. She nods to me,"Ms. Knightly."

I nod back.

"Did you find him?" Mycroft questions.

Athena nods and hands him a phone. "We tracked him to this location."

Mycroft's eyes widen a fraction,"...Musgrave Hall."

I frown,"Your childhood home?"

He gulps and nods.

"How far away is it?" I question,"We need to save them-"

Mycroft shakes his head,"Musgrave is about three hours from here. We would never make it in time."

"Well call your men then!" I shout,"Get someone who is closer to save them-"

"Musgrave is practically in the middle of nowhere. The closest military base is two hours from it. Eurus could kill them at any moment."

My eyes widen and I feel my heart drop. "T-There has to be something we can do!"

Athena looks to her boss with a knowing look,"Sir?"

Mycroft looks down and sighs,"...We have been working on an experimental drug to counteract the effects of Darkwood, but it hasn't been tested yet."

"Test it on me then!" I demand,"With my powers back I can make it there in just under an hour."

"The side effects-"

"Damn the side effects!" I bark,"If it gives me a better chance at saving them, then I will do it no matter what."

Mycroft searches my eyes for any falter, then sighs again when he finds none. "Alright. Athena, bring-"

"Already done, Sir." Athena smiles cheekily and grabs a metal briefcase from a suited man. She opens it and holds it out to her boss,"I figured that Darkwood may have been used on one of you, so I came prepared."

Mycroft presses his lips in a thin line and picks up a syringe that contains a clear liquid. While Mycroft may be seen as the 'iceman' to many, he does have a heart. He cares for his brothers more than he lets on, and I like to think that he has grown quite attached to me over the years.

I hold out my arm and Mycroft injects me with the experimental drug.

"Now, it should take only a few minutes before you will have your powers back," Mycroft explains,"It is meant to absorb the Darkwood in your blood, and there shouldn't be any side effects."

I nod and close my eyes, waiting for the drug to take effect.

For several minutes I feel nothing, then a burning starts in the pit of my stomach. I groan and double over as the pain intensifies.

"Sara!" Mycroft calls with concern,"Are you hurting?"

"Feeling a little something," I mutter through clenched teeth. I take some deep breaths then stand up straight. "I-It's not so bad now."

I grab the metal briefcase from Athena and test my strength with it. With a little force, I am able to bend the metal handle. I smile and turn to Mycroft,"I think it worked."

He nods and hands me the phone with Sherlock's GPS,"Go save my brothers. I will try to get my men there as fast as possible."

I nod and hand the case back to Athena. I take a deep breath then take off sprinting, I soon reach vampiric speed and race toward my friends location, hoping I'm not too late.


	71. Why?

Chapter 71:

3rd person POV:

"Why?"

"You know why."

Sherlock glares at the person before him,"So, all this time, I was right about you."

Laughter answers him. "Don't give yourself so much credit. You were only jealous and intimidated by me."

"I TRUSTED YOU!" Sherlock roars,"When everyone was against me, you were there! You were on my side. But I will ask again. Why, Tom?" Sherlock growls,"I know this was some scheme to get Sara. Kill me off maybe. But I want to know why you went through all this trouble. Building this Eurus character and having Mycroft and I believe she was our sister, putting John in a well. Why go through all this?"

"I wanted to play with you a bit before I killed you."

Sherlock clenches his hands into fists,"What really happened all those years ago?"

Tom produces a remote and turns off the screen containing fake Eurus. "As children, you and I were very close. We had a connection that Mycroft could not compete with, you were my favorite brother and I was yours." A dark look crosses his features,"But then Eurus and Victor started to get close to you. I couldn't have that."

Sherlock gulps,"...What did you do?"

"Eurus was a strange child... but I assume I was a big influence on that. I have the ability to pursaude anyone to do almost anything, and her being a child just made it that much easier." A sick smile lights up his features as he recalls the past. "I gave her attention, made her feel special, all so she would trust me. She did everything I told her to do, like trapping Victor in that well."

'He orchestrated it all,' Sherlock's eyes widen in horror.

"After he was gone, I put her in there as well. She was a strong little thing, survived for seven days," he cocks his head to the side in thought,"May have resorted to some canabilism, would have been the smart way to survive-"

"STOP IT!" Sherlock shouts, gripping his hair,"Stop talking about this so casually! YOU KILLED OUR SISTER!"

"I did! I did it for you!" Tom shouts. He runs his hand over his face and sighs,"I thought things would go back to the way they used to be...but I was wrong," Tom's face is dark,"Mummy and Daddy were so depressed, all they ever talked about was her. You became a shell of former yourself and pushed away everyone, even me. She was gone, but I couldn't get rid of her constant, annoying, memory. So I burned this place to the ground. And it worked." He is smiling once again. "We moved and our parents never spoke of her again, more so to keep to horrible truth from you. You and I became close again... and then Sara came along." A dreamy look crosses his face,"She was beautiful, I knew I had to have her."

"Are we just toys to you?!" Sherlock shouts,"We are aren't we? Back then I was your doll, and you would kill anyone who wanted to play with me. Then you moved onto Sara."

"I wish you and I could have the same relationship we once did, I really do," Tom says, eyes soft, looking like he usually does instead of this insane psychopath. "But Sara is my soulmate. You chose to stand in my way," his eyes narrow,"So I will do all in my power to end you. Jim failed me twice, and then Culverton," he lets out an annoyed sigh,"It seems what they say is true. If you want something done right, then you have to do it yourself."

"...Moriarty?" Sherlock's eyes widen a fraction,"You ordered him to kill me?."

Tom shrugs,"Well, ordered is a strong word. I met him through a 'friend' and we realized we shared similar interests. This was just before the bank heist, prison break thing by the way."

The air leaves Sherlock's lungs,"...That long ago?"

Tom nods with a smirk,"I helped plan everything hence forth. You were meant to die on that rooftop," His smiles drops,"But somehow you survived. I turned Moriarty into a vampire days before, knowing how unpredictable you can be... though you jumping was not something I had anticipated."

"So you then moved in on Sara because I was out of the picture."

"Yes." Tom's eyes redden as he glares at his brother,"But then you had to pop back up. So Jim and I starting planning once again. That imbecile ruined everything though!"

Sherlock notes that his brother's mental state is different. More erratic and bipolar.

"He went back on our deal and almost killed Sara as well. I took time to regroup after that, then I introduced you to deadman blood, and gained the help of Culverton. Those both failed me. So after that I decided I would have to be the one to get rid of you myself."

"You do realize how insane that sounds, don't you?" Sherlock questions,"If I die, who is to say that Sara won't find someone else?"

Tom's eyes flare with rage,"SHE WILL BE MINE!" he roars. He stops and takes a deep breath to calm himself before addressing his brother. "Once you are out of the picture, Sara will be able to focus only on me and we will be together again."

'He is obsessed with her. How could he have hid this for so long? Keeping up his gentleman facade, fooling everyone... even me,' Sherlock thinks to himself.

'Sherlock. I hate to interrupt, but THE WATER IS RISING!' John shouts.

"Stop this! Stop this now!" Sherlock shouts at his brother, charging forward to attack. However, he just runs through air.

"You cannot beat me, brother," Tom taunts, appearing behind Sherlock,"There is enough Darkwood in your system to restrain your powers for the next few hours. The only way you might save your friend is if you play my game."

Sherlock glares at his brother,"I won't let you win. I will not let a psychopath like you near Sara!"

"Oh I think I can take care of myself," a new voice echoes from the doorway.

Tom feels the blood drain from his face. "...Sara?"


	72. How did this happen?

Chapter 72:

Sara's POV:

"S-sara, I am so glad you are safe-"

"Save it!" I hiss at Tom.

The innocent look on his face disappears. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough." I cross my arms,"Have could you do this?!"

His eyes narrow and his entire demeanor changes from the man I thought I knew. His back straightens and he cocks his head to the side. "I really was hoping for this to go differently," he says in a deeper, more sinister voice,"You were never supposed to find out, Sara."

"So you were just going to kill Sherlock and expect us to live happily ever after?"

He smirks,"It would have worked. It will still work."

'SHERLOCK!'

The Sherlock's eyes widen,"John! He's in a well." He strides to his brother but I step forward and hold him back.

I grip Sherlock's shoulder, not taking my eyes off his brother,"Go find him. I will take care of Tom."

"I'm not leaving you-"

I turn to glare at him,"You would be useless in a fight. The Darkwood in your veins will block your powers for hours. Tom won't hurt me." I smile softly,"I will be fine. Go."

He looks apprehensive but nods and rushes out of the house. I block Tom from getting through the doorway.

He narrows his eyes,"Don't do this, Sara."

I raise my fists,"You give me no choice." I charge at him with vampiric speed.

Our fight is more of a dance. Tom dodges and takes every hit I throw, but refuses to make any of his own. He doesn't want to hurt me, so he is taking the defense. This works, because all I need to do is buy some time.

"I injected you with Darkwood. How did you get your powers back?" Tom inquires as he ducks from my punch.

"Mycroft created a new drug that counteracts the effects."

Tom grunts as I slam him into a wall.

"Tell me, Tom. What did you do all those years after I left you?" I question as I throw a punch.

He dodges it and answers me. "I searched for you. I finally heard from Mycroft that you were in London with Sherlock, so I raced there and started planning."

I frown,"Mycroft?"

"I had to keep up appearances still. So I continued to work for him while I searched for you."

How did Mycroft not realize that he is a physcopath?

"I left because I thought I turned you into a monster... but you were already one," I murmur.

He frowns,"I am no monster. Is it a crime to love you?"

"It is if you kill people because of it!"

He sighs and ducks as I throw another punch. "Don't be like that. We will get through this, it's just a fight."

My eyes widen in disbelief. He is officially insane.

I guess my attention wandered for a moment because next thing I know, I am pinned onto my back with Tom hovering over me.

I struggle to get free but he has a tight hold on my wrists.

"Please stop. I don't want to hurt you," Tom pleads,"I know what I have done is wrong, but I cannot live without you, Sara. Don't you see that we are soulmates?"

I pause my struggles and try a different approach. "Tom, you need help," I tell him gently,"This... obsession, is unhealthy. I can help you, but you need to-"

His eyes harden,"I know what you are trying to do. I won't be brought in by lies!" He snarls.

I gulp,"I hate seeing you this way. Y-you are different."

He laughs softly and shakes his head,"Darling, I have always been this way. But I knew you would not approve, so I kept my true nature from you." He frowns,"In doing so I inadvertently pushed you away."

I frown confused,"What do you mean?"

"All those years ago, you left because you hated the monster you turned me into. You felt guilty... but that wasn't your fault," he reveals,"I was able to kill to my hearts content, and I used my vampirism as a cover. But in doing so, I made you guilty and pushed you away. Don't you see? It was my fault, not yours."

My eyes widen. H-he has been a monster from the very beginning. Killed Victor and Eurus, they weren't just in the way of his relationship with Sherlock... He has a bloodlust that cannot be quenched.

How many others has he killed? Before and after he was turned.

"Isn't this better?" Tom asks with a smile,"Everything out in the open, no more lies. We can start a fresh. How does that sound?"

"Wonderful. You can start a fresh in your very own jail cell," a voice echoes from the doorway.

My heart jumps a beat when I see who is there.

"Stay back, brother!" Tom snarls,"You are still no match for me."

Sherlock gazes at his brother with a sad expression,"Maybe not, but you cannot take on all of them." He steps aside and about two dozen men in SWAT team uniforms rush in and surround us, their guns pointed at Tom.

"Tom, stand down," Sherlock says softly.

Tom freezes above me, staring at his brothers with shock and betrayal written on his face. He blinks then slowly looks down at me.

I smile softly, tears welling up in my eyes,"Please, Tom."

He gulps and then his eyes widen. "W-what have I done?"

I watch as all the guilt resurfaces. He is finally realizing the stark reality of what he did and what the consequences are.

He closes his eyes and bows his head. His hands slowly release mine and he raises them in the air.

Two SWAT team members quickly apprehend him and cuff his wrists. Sherlock rushes over to help me up once Tom has been moved. He pulls me into a tight hug and I finally let my tears flow.

I then remember John and push away from Sherlock. "Wait! Did you find John? Is he safe?" I question.

Sherlock nods,"I found him in time. He is outside getting checked over by the medics."

I let out a relived sigh and fall back into his embrace. I don't know what will happen to Tom, but at least this is all over. Tom had orchestrated almost all of the dangers that have happened to us in the last few years, hopefully we will have some peace now.

I just... How did this happen? Tom was my best friend, my first real love, and now... now he is gone.


	73. The end

Chapter 73:

Sara's POV:

Almost a year has gone by since Tom's betrayal. Since then we have rebuilt 221b and tried to get on with life. Tom was sent to a high security facility that houses the most dangerous of people. Mycroft has assured us that it is built to withstand vampires as well. So there he will stay, for the rest of his life.

In many respects, Tom is getting off easy. He killed two children, one being his own sister, and many others as well. The only reason he is alive is because his brothers still care for him, and so do I. After knowing him for so long, it is hard to think of him as a psychopath.

Tom had a rough time in the prison at first. He would thrash his cell and demand to see me, but over time he has calmed and come to the realization that cooperating is the best option. He has been talking with a therapist... but some disturbing things have come to light. Tom has confessed to a multitude of murders that I had no idea about. Those newly blooded vampires we saved awhile back, it was when Ajay was tracking down Mary, well Tom killed them. I left Tom to get them somewhere safe and to help them not kill when they fed, but he instead just murdered them! He lied to my face, claimed to be a hero of sorts. That's not all, apparently he was planning to kill off Sam and Dean as well.

He had also revealed how he convinced that woman to play as Eurus. Her real name is Amelia Williams, and she was origanily a patient at the "asylum". Tom used his power to compel people to do his bidding, and essentially took over the entire facility. This information helped make sure that Tom would never leave his prison.

We had visited Tom for the first time just a month after he had been arrested.

~

Tom sat on his small bed within his glass cell when Sherlock and I arrived.

"I've already had my daily dose of Darkwood," Tom murmured without looking up from his book.

He should be grateful that his brothers still care for him. He has many luxuries that the other inmates can only dream of.

I noted that he looked quite a bit thinner (his refusal to eat when he first arrived is the cause), he also looked tired and weak.

When we didn't respond, he finally looked over. His eyes widened at the sight of me and he slowly stood up. "...Sara?"

I gulped,"...Hello, Tom."

A smile broke out on his face and he strode over to the glass wall that separated us. "I-I am so glad to see you!"

Sherlock took a small, protective step in front of me. Tom frowned, a hurt look on his face.

"I know what I did was wrong," he said, bowing his head,"But, please forgive me. I-I now see that I am unwell." He gulped and a tear slid down his cheek. He raised his head to look at his brother,"I know I do not deserve your forgiveness, but I am truly sorry. Please know that."

Sherlock eyed him coldly,"You murdered our sister, that will never be forgiven."

Tom sniffed and looked at his feet.

"But you are still my brother."

Tom looked up with wide, hopeful, eyes.

Sherlock glanced down at me then back to his brother,"We will come back to visit when we can."

Tears of joy ran down Tom's cheeks.

"Your parents were told of what happened," I told him.

He blinked with a frown forming on his face,"W-What? You told them I'm alive?"

Sherlock shook his head,"No, but we told them what you did to Eurus. Our parents deserved to know that much."

Tom lowered his gaze again. "...They must be so disappointed."

I nodded,"They are. You've caused your parents enough grief to last them a lifetime, I hope you realize that."

He nodded.

I want him to feel guilty. I want him to feel like shit for the rest of his godforsaken life! His punishment should be a lot worse than what we are giving him.

After that we left him and returned to Baker street.

~

Today I am watching Rosie while John and Sherlock are off on a case. John has moved back into 221b with us which has been... well interesting. I am glad to have him here (we have regained our previous relationship), but living with a child is something I never thought I would experience. Sherlock is new to having a child around all the time as well. Baby proofing the flat had been a nightmare, and Sherlock often leaves out his science equipment from time to time, but I don't think we would have it any other way. We love little Rosie and see her as the child Sherlock and I will never be able to have.

Rosie is now a rambunctious little two year old. I often watch over her so John can have some time for himself, or just some fun on cases with his best friend. I don't mind it, I see it as a refreshing change from what I have done for most of my long life.

Rosie and I are currently at a park in central London. It's a sunny day for once so I thought it would be nice to get her out of the flat for awhile.

I pull my hood over my face a bit more as I walk through the park with Rosie on my hip.

"Look!" Rosie shouts, pointing over to a statue.

I smile,"Oh, you want to see the statue?"

She nods vigorously,"Yes! Yes!"

I laugh and set her on the ground so she can run over to it.

"Excuse me?" Someone asks from behind me,"I think you dropped this."

My heart stops and my eyes widen. ...That voice.

I slowly turn around. He smiles, and holds out my phone to me. "Hello, Sara."

"...Tom?" 

 

THE END!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can never end things nicely haha. I'm terrible.
> 
> Finally it is done. I loved writing this story and I hope you guys liked reading it. Maybe if they ever do come out with another Sherlock season then I will continue with it. But for now it is done. I am off to write big and better things. I have started writing a Tom Hiddleston AU, check it out if you are interested :)


	74. ...Sequel?

Sooo I am thinking of writing a sequel.


End file.
